The top school in the Eastern Cape that was attended by billionaire philanthropist Allan Gray and F1 champion Jody Scheckter
Established in 1872 in the city of East London, Selborne College is the oldest school in the town and claims fame to many prominent alumni, including Allan Gray.
Selborne College was founded by Pastor Heinrich Muller as a co-ed school, under the name Panmure Public School.
At the time, East London, now KuGompo City, was a small town comprising three settlements along the Buffalo River.
The three settlements officially merged under the name East London in 1873, and a 1875 census recorded a population of around 2,134.
Between 1886 and 1903, the school split into two single-sex institutions: the girls’ school became Clarendon, and Panmure became an all-boys school.
In 1907, under the leadership of its third headmaster, George Rattray, Panmure Public School was renamed to Selborne College, in honour of the Second Earl of Selborne, William Waldegrave Palmer.
Palmer was the British High Commissioner for Southern Africa from 1905 to 1910 and laid the groundwork for the Union of South Africa, which was established in 1910.
Along with the name change, Selborne College adopted the Earl of Selborne’s official family coat of arms and the family motto Palma Virtuti, meaning “Reward is to the Brave.”
This link to Britain was indicative of the school’s British alignment, upon which its identity is rooted.
Around the same time, the town of East London was rapidly expanding. It even gained city status in 1914.
In 1914, many young men from East London, including Old Boys from Selborne, volunteered to fight for the British Empire during World War I.
The school outgrew its premises and moved to Muir Street in 1922, and two years later, a War Memorial was erected in front of the school to honour the fallen Old Boys.
At the same time, Selborne also established the Ceremony of the Key to honour the fallen Old Boys – a ceremony it upholds until this day, at each annual Founders’ Day.
The ceremony was given a strict military format in 1939 at the start of World War II – a format it retains to this day.
Post-World War II, in 1948, Selborne College became a strictly white-only school under the apartheid regime.
It retained this status until 1992, when it opened its doors to non-white students and became a Model C school.
Selborne was also awarded an illuminated address in 1992 by the East London Council in recognition of its 120 years of service.
Throughout the 1900s, Selborne grew significantly and entered a golden age of sports, becoming the home of many prominent South African figures.
Selborne today
Today, the entire surrounding suburb is named Selborne, and the school is known for its academics and remains known for several sports.
Selborne consistently achieves impressive matric pass rates, earning a 97.87% pass rate in 2024, an 85% Bachelor’s pass rate, and a 98.68% pass rate in 2025.
It famously produced several Springbok Rugby players, including Mark Andrews, who won the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Other prominent Springboks who attended the school include Andre Vos, Brent Russell, Keith Andrews, Ray Carlson, Andre de Wet, Brooke Duffy, and Fronie Froneman.
East London-born scrum-half Rory Kockott, of the Golden Lions and The Sharks, also attended Selborne. Rugby remains a key sport at the school.
The famous South African cricketer Mark Boucher is one of the most famous Old Selbornians, while world-record-holding swimmer Jonty Skinner also attended Selborne.
Another famous Old Selbornian is the 1979 Formula One World Champion, Jody Scheckter, as well as his older brother Ian Scheckter, who also competed in Formula One.
Aside from sports, one of the best-known Old Selbornians is the South African billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist Allan Gray.
Gray was born in 1938 in East London to an immigrant Scottish family and completed his high school education at Selborne College in the mid-1950s.
Gray later studied at Rhodes University and then moved to the United States, where he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1972, Gray moved back to South Africa and founded Allan Gray limited.
The firm grew to become the largest privately held investment firm in Southern Africa, with over $35 billion in client capital by the 2010s (around R235 billion at the time).
By 2017, Gray’s net worth was over $1.8 billion, R24 billion at the time. He established several foundations throughout his life, giving away much of his wealth.
Photos of Selborne College
Selborne College Founders’ Day, Ceremony of the Key, and the War Memorial
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