{"id":858380,"date":"2026-05-03T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=858380"},"modified":"2026-05-03T16:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T14:14:42","slug":"only-south-african-girls-school-ranked-among-the-top-100-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/858380\/only-south-african-girls-school-ranked-among-the-top-100-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Only South African girls school ranked among the top 100 in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spear\u2019s Magazine has published a list of the best private schools in 2026, with five South African institutions maintaining their ranks among the top 100 in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among these five schools is St Anne\u2019s Diocesan College in KwaZulu-Natal, which remains the only South African private all-girls school to feature on the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spear\u2019s Schools Index<\/a> is in its seventh year and is \u201cthe definitive guide to the world\u2019s top 100 leading private schools,\u201d the magazine said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It added that it serves as a key reference point for internationally mobile families, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and the advisers who support them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its launch in 2020, the index has evolved into a trusted benchmark and offers insight into academic excellence and the broader qualities that define leading global institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ranking is compiled using expertise from educational consultants and specialists to identify institutions that value academic performance alongside other important qualities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include cultural, pastoral and reputational qualities that are increasingly being prioritised by families who are privileged to choose from the very best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, Spear\u2019s again worked closely with Thuso Group, whose international team contributed additional research and insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike conventional rankings, Spear\u2019s noted that the index does not focus solely on results. Instead, it reflects shifting global wealth patterns and lifestyle preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe distribution of schools within the Index offers a revealing snapshot of global wealth patterns and the institutions that continue to attract internationally mobile families,\u201d Spear\u2019s said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFactors such as social development, cultural life, pastoral care, diversity, inclusivity, and a school\u2019s sense of purpose all play a central role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reputation and character are also key considerations, shaping both the families a school attracts and the environment it creates for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the publication, families are becoming increasingly mobile, with new global hubs emerging across regions such as the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top private South African all-girls school<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Interestingly, Spear\u2019s added that some families are opting for more traditional institutions, especially outside the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland, often citing cultural considerations in places such as Africa and South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To compile the rankings, the Spear\u2019s Research Unit gathered information directly from schools through online submissions and interviews, supported by independent research and expert input.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe goal was to use common sense as much as metrics, emphasising that no school was included simply because it was well-known,\u201d the publication said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also said no deserving school was excluded simply because it was less internationally famous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the \u201crest of the world\u201d category, which features boarding and day schools from regions including India, Pakistan, Kenya, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa, five South African schools earned recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are Cordwalles Preparatory School, Hilton College, Michaelhouse, St Anne\u2019s Diocesan College, and Western Province Preparatory School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its review of  St Anne\u2019s, Spear\u2019s said the school distinguishes itself for its longstanding reputation for developing confident and well-rounded young women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its academic performance also remained consistently strong. In 2025, 100% of its pupils achieved a bachelor\u2019s degree pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many also progressed to leading universities around the world. The matric class recorded 248 distinctions, averaging 2.9 distinctions per student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spear\u2019s said that since its founding in 1877, it has focused on \u201cnurturing girls to make positive impacts on others through the values of humility, respect, compassion and empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also added that the curriculum is designed to encourage pupils to \u201cpossess an intellectual curiosity and a love of learning for its own sake,\u201d while offering a broad range of academic and extracurricular opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the classroom, students participate in sports including swimming, tennis, netball, hockey and football, as well as outdoor pursuits such as canoeing, horse riding and cross-country running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery girl at St Anne\u2019s is allocated a boarding house, even if they are a day pupil, building \u2018a sense of belonging\u2019 within the college,\u201d Spear\u2019s said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It added that day pupils are encouraged to spend much of their time on campus alongside boarders, reinforcing a shared school experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St Anne\u2019s fees for 2026 are R335,040 per year for boarders and R180,672 for day scholars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Images of St Anne\u2019s Diocesan College<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Spear\u2019s Magazine has published a list of the best private schools in 2026, featuring a notable all-girls school in KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":858401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[853,17379,24067],"class_list":["post-858380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-south-africa","tag-spears-magazine","tag-st-annes-diocesan-college"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858380"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":858429,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858380\/revisions\/858429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}