171-year-old public school in South Africa with a 99.5% pass rate, known as ‘the Springbok factory’
Grey College in the Free State is famed for its rich history and major contributions to South Africa’s sporting landscape.
The school was founded in 1855, following a donation from George Grey, the Governor of the Cape Colony at the time.
He made the donation after visiting the Bloemfontein area and noticing its lack of adequate schooling, spurring his decision to donate towards the founding of Grey College.
Following the donation and years of construction, the school officially opened its doors on 17 January 1859.
This makes Grey College the third-oldest high school in South Africa, behind South African College School (SACS) and Wynberg Boys’ High School.
To this day, the Grey College campus has several historical buildings, such as its tuck shop, which was built around 1908.
A large portion of the school’s history is attributed to George Grey and his initial donation towards its founding.
This includes the school crest, featuring a knight and unicorn, which was modelled after the Grey family emblem.
“Sir George Grey’s visionary philanthropy laid the foundation for Grey College’s enduring legacy, as evidenced by his personal contribution towards its establishment,” the school said on its website.
While the school has undergone several transformations in its 171-year history, it said its history still plays an important role.
“While the school has undergone renovations and modernisations to adapt to evolving needs, it remains steadfast in preserving its longstanding traditions,” it said.
One of these traditions is the school’s unique handshake, performed by extending two fingers into the other person’s palm.
“Boys, staff and alumni are recognised by the legendary Grey handshake, which is known across the globe,” the school said.
Grey College today
Today, Grey College has grown to an impressive size, with approximately 1,200 learners from grades 8 to 12.
The school boasts an impressive academic record, with a 99.56% matric pass rate in 2025, and an 81.94% bachelors pass rate in the same year.
In total, the school’s matric cohort achieved 220 distinctions last year across 227 pupils, with 13 achieving average results over 80%.
The school is also dual-medium, with learners opting for either English or Afrikaans as their home language and language of instruction.
Alongside impressive academics, Grey College is possibly best known for its sports programmes, particularly rugby.
SA School Sports currently ranks the school’s first XV rugby team as the sixth-best in the country and places it fourth in the combined rugby rankings, based on performance across its programme.
The school’s fixtures are also impressive affairs, often drawing thousands of spectators to watch the first team play.
The school has produced several big names in the sport and is the alma mater of 49 capped Springboks, the second-highest number of any South African school.
This includes historic names in international rugby, and some current Springboks such as Siya Kolisi and Cobus Reinach.
The high number of international rugby players who have passed through Grey College prompted BBC Sport to call it “the Springbok factory” in a 2018 article.
The school’s impressive list of sporting alumni does not stop at rugby, with several other South African stars spending their early years at the Bloemfontein institution.
This includes the Olympic gold medalist and 400 metre sprint world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who matriculated in 2011.
Former South African Cricket captain, Hansie Cronje, also attended the school, and his ashes were scattered on the grounds following his death.
Other notable sporting alumni from Grey College include Morne du Plessis, Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, and Ruben Kruger.
Outside of sports, the school was home to figures such as Bram Fischer, a prominent anti-apartheid advocate and counsel for Nelson Mandela in the Rivonia Trials.
Photos of Grey College
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