How much does it cost to send a child to private school vs public school in South Africa?
Many South Africans are struggling to prioritise saving for their child's education in the face of escalating school costs, a worsening cost-of-living issue, and many years of recession and pandemic-related instability. Given these challenges, many parents in 2023 are contemplating alternatives to traditional schooling, such as the rapidly expanding possibilities of online and homeschooling. This
How much does it cost to send a child to private school vs public school in South Africa?
Many South Africans are struggling to prioritise saving for their child’s education in the face of escalating school costs, a worsening cost-of-living issue, and many years of recession and pandemic-related instability.
Given these challenges, many parents in 2023 are contemplating alternatives to traditional schooling, such as the rapidly expanding possibilities of online and homeschooling.
This is according to new research from Old Mutual, which warns that the situation is anticipated to deteriorate as the expense of long-term education outpaces pay inflation and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by 2.5% to 3% yearly.
“If your child starts from Grade 1 in 2023, you can expect to pay on average between R651,313 and R1,901,549, for public or private education, respectively, over their school career,” said Marius Pretorius, head of marketing: retail savings and income solutions at Old Mutual Personal Finance.
This rand sum includes elementary and secondary school, but not pre-primary or university.
“The truth of the matter is that education is expensive. If you’ve saved any money and your child is entering a public primary or high school in 2023, you can expect to pay on average about R24,408 and R36,072 this year, while a private primary school and private high school will set you back R71,496 and R105,084, respectively.
“When it comes to university education, parents can expect to pay R55,900 in 2023, on average,” he said.
The chart below shows the estimated cost of a year of schooling this year and for the following 15 years, as predicted by Old Mutual.
| Level and type of education | 2023 | 2030 | 2035 | 2038 |
| Public primary school | R24 500 | R41 900 | R61 500 | R77 500 |
| Public high school | R36 100 | R61 900 | R90 900 | R114 500 |
| Private primary school | R71 500 | R122 600 | R180 100 | R226 800 |
| Private high school | R105 100 | R180 100 | R264 700 | R333 400 |
| University | R55 900 | R95 700 | R140 700 | R177 1200 |
Pretorius stated that parents might avoid this shock by saving as soon as feasible.
In reality, given the rate at which school costs in South Africa are rising, it is improbable that you will be able to save the whole cost of your child’s education. However, according to Pretorius, it is not always the purpose of a viable college savings strategy.
He also provided the following advice for starting an educational savings plan:
