New R3.2 billion Afrikaans university rising in South Africa – photos

·14 Sep 2026

Construction on the newest campus for the private Afrikaans higher education institution, Akademia, has reached the eight-month mark, with the project’s scale taking shape.

The project’s developers, Kanton, have published new photos of the development, which officially began construction at the start of the year.

The construction phase of the new university is expected to run to Q4 2027. The first phase of construction began in January 2026 on the group’s site in Mooiplaats, eastern Tshwane.

The first construction phase is valued at R1.8 billion and focuses on lecture halls and academic facilities—all of which are taking shape on site.

Approximately R470 million had already been spent on the campus by the end of July 2026, Kanton said.

Other infrastructure highlights in this phase include:

A 2,500 square metre student centre as the social hub of the campus;
Residences for about 750 students, after which the capacity will be expanded to 1,500 during the second phase;
An amphitheatre with a capacity for 1,500 people as a cultural and gathering space.
A chapel plaza surrounded by water canals and gardens
A dome structure of glass and steel (20 meters high and 32 meters in diameter).

The second phase is expected to be under construction until 2030, and will include more lecture halls, residences and other facilities, such as an auditorium and the chapel.

The final project is estimated to have an investment value of over R3 billion and has been cited as the largest of its kind in the history of Afrikaans-language and cultural communities in higher education.

The project is being co-developed by the Solidarity Movement, in partnership with Kanton.

Kanton noted that more than 25 subcontractors have been on site during construction, with numerous tenders currently being considered.

“Roof trusses are already rising, water tanks are in place—and underground, the network of services that will keep the campus running is advancing,” the group said.

“This campus is no longer just a plan on paper.”

The project has also been a catalyst for other developments in the area, particularly among property developers looking to capitalise on the prospects of thousands of students flooding into the area.

Kanton said that the project is about more than bricks and mortar for a university campus, adding that it is also about “creating a vibrant environment in which people, institutions and businesses can flourish together”.

Akademia announced the new campus development in August 2024, with mass earthworks taking place in July 2025.

The project officially launched at a sod-turning ceremony in November 2025 before construction started in January 2026.

The higher education institution was founded in 2012, and over the past fourteen years, it has grown to five faculties (undergraduate and postgraduate).

Akademia has approximately 4,500 students, of whom almost 1,500 study full-time on campuses in Centurion and more than 500 already live in four residences.