Fast-growing private education business Curro Holdings recently announced a plan to establish and run 500 schools in South Africa by 2030. But how many people can afford private schooling? Curro believes there is huge potential for more independent schools to be developed in the country, if international trends are anything to go by. The global trend, according to its latest AGM presentation (and as captured in independent school numbers), indicates that independent schools are moving towards 20% of the total number of schools. In South Africa the figure is closer to 4%. Outgoing CEO Chris van der Merwe said last week that if South Africa followed this trend, there would be potential for many more independent schools to be developed. But filling up school buildings is not as easy as it sounds. Nolwandle Mthombeni, an investment analyst at Mergence Investment Managers, said the private education sector's plans to expand were ambitious, but "it's not one of those things the market is ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.