The school in Cape Town older than South Africa’s capital linked to Oxford University
Founded in 1829, the South African College School (SACS) is widely regarded as one of the oldest schools in the country, with a rich history and several notable alumni.
While the school opened its doors to students in 1829, plans for SACS began earlier, when funds were set aside in 1791 to improve education in the Cape.
The funds were set aside by Dutch Commissioner General de Mist, with the final plans for SACS being completed by his successor, Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole.
The school officially opened in 1829, making it older than several parts of South Africa, including both Pretoria, the country’s administrative capital, and Johannesburg.
When it was founded, SACS was located on Long Street in Cape Town, but it soon moved to the Herbert Baker Buildings.
Today, these historic buildings are used by the University of Cape Town (UCT) after SACS relocated to a new site to accommodate more students.
After moving away from the Herbert Baker buildings, the school settled on the Montebello Estate, in Newlands, set against Table Mountain.
Originally, the school hosted students from junior grades all the way up to those doing collegiate work, but it was later divided into separate schools.
Today, both the SACS high school and junior school are located on the same estate, but operate as separate schools.
Later in its life, SACS played a role in the open schools movement, which called for the desegregation of South African schools.
The school had originally been open to all boys, but became a segregated school in 1905 following the Cape School Boards Act.
In 1992, the school was opened to boys of all races, and SACS notes that it was one of the few South African schools which “reopened” its doors to all learners.
The school also noted that its role in the open schools movement allowed it to desegregate “without the formal sanction of the Nationalist Government.”
South African College School today
Since its early foundation, SACS has grown into a premier school in South Africa in both sports and academics.
The school is competitive in a host of sports, including hockey, where it is ranked second in the country by SA School Sports’ combined rankings.
These rankings consider the performance of each school’s top teams in each age category, with its combined rugby rankings also placing SACS in the top 30 in the country.
For academics, the school is one of only four in South Africa which has a Rhodes Scholarship open to its alumni.
This scholarship covers the full tuition and accommodation for a person to continue their studies at Oxford University in England, one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
SACS describes this award on its website as “one of the world’s most prestigious academic scholarships.”
While this scholarship was originally reserved for SACS alumni, it has since been opened to include learners from Rustenburg High School for Girls and Sans Souci Girls’ High School.
The school fees for SACS are R71,000 per year, with fees slightly higher for grade 8 at R72,800, which is less than at many of South Africa’s other historic schools.
The school also offers boarding for R79,000 per annum, with three separate boarding houses to accommodate roughly 160 learners.
The school’s largest boarding house, Rosedale, is one of its original buildings from when it moved to Newlands in 1959, and houses grades 10-12.
Michaelis House, which accommodates grade nine boarders, was originally the home of Sir Max and Lady Michaelis after the First World War.
The building was then converted to suit the school’s needs in 1953 and currently accommodates roughly 40 learners.
Photos of South African College School
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