The Western Cape department of education (WCED) joined the Apex Education Group in Stellenbosch to celebrate the group’s concerted mission to revamp education in the province

The  group marked a major milestone when they celebrated the completion of its new high school campus, the launch of a primary school model and the beginning of expansion into Pinelands — while formally announcing an ambitious 10-year growth strategy.

The event brought together partners from government, civil society and philanthropy, including the WCED and the municipality of Stellenbosch. It was an occasion to highlight Apex’s enduring commitment to expanding access to high-quality education for every child in South Africa — guided by its founding ethos of doing “Whatever It Takes.”

A Campus Built for Access and Quality

The newly completed high school campus in Stellenbosch has been purpose-built to support affordable, high-quality education. The infrastructure can accommodate 1,000 learners from Grade 8 to Grade 12, with the first matric class scheduled to graduate in 2028.

“This building is more than bricks and mortar,” said Jana du Plooy, CEO of Apex Education Group. “It represents our belief that quality education must be accessible — and that sustainability and excellence can coexist.”

Discipline in Design, Courage in Expansion

The celebration also acknowledged the pass rate of 98% achieved by the matric class of 2025 from Apex High School, a significant marker in the organisation’s journey toward educational excellence.

From its inception, Apex has defined excellence as a process of continuous testing and refinement, with the model evolving as lessons are learned and results are measured. Expansion is not built on a fixed idea implemented once and left unchanged — it is built on a living system that is constantly improving.

While testing is important, the scale of South Africa’s education crisis demands urgency. Waiting indefinitely for perfect conditions is not an option. Apex emphasised that responsible growth requires both discipline and bravery: the discipline to prove what works, and the courage to act decisively once it does.

Launch of Primary School Model

In a significant strategic move, Apex formally announced that it will now include a Primary School offering, serving learners from Grade R through to Grade 12.

The primary school model will be distinct from Apex’s high school blended-learning approach and is designed to strengthen foundational learning in the early years — reducing the need for later remediation and building a stronger pipeline of academic success.

The first primary cohorts have already launched at the organisation’s campus in Stellenbosch, as well as the new site in Pinelands.

Breaking Ground in Pinelands

Apex is on track to imminently break ground at its Pinelands site — marking the first step in replicating its model in a high-density, urban context.

Once complete, the Pinelands campus will serve 1,720 learners at full capacity.

Announcing Vision 10/10/10

The highlight of the evening was the formal announcement of Apex’s 10-year strategy, titled Vision 10/10/10.

Over the period 2024–2034, Apex commits to:

        •    Establishing 10 schools

•    Creating and filling 10,000 high quality, affordable school places from Grade R to Grade 12

•     Raising R1 billion in capital investment, with a portion already committed

       

“Too often, the conversation in education is only focused on constraints. Vision 10/10/10 is our commitment to prove that what we believe is indeed possible — to build excellent schools, and to make high-quality education affordable and sustainable for thousands more learners.”  Du Plooy said during the announcement.

Apex’s intent is to launch all the respective campuses in the next four years, and then to allow organic growth to fill them up by 2034.

Partnership as a Foundation

Apex emphasised the important role of collaboration between government, civil society and philanthropy in expanding access to high-quality education.

The organisation expressed appreciation for the support of public representatives and municipal leadership in attendance, underscoring that systemic education change requires shared responsibility.

David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Education, expressed his support for the partnership:

“While our province is building schools faster than ever, the demand for quality education in our province is so high that government cannot meet it alone. So the announcement of the planned expansion from a quality education provider like Apex is a game changer for the Western Cape. The value in partnerships like these extends beyond helping to carry the load: they challenge government to be more innovative, more creative, and more focused on outcomes.”