The historic public school in Cape Town that educated a Nobel laureate, a Chief Justice, and the Shoprite king

Rondebosch Boys’ High School is one of the most historic schools in the Western Cape and has produced many South African icons.

The school was founded in 1897 in the Rondebosch suburb to meet the growing need for a boys’ school in the region.

It was founded in a rented church hall and had only eight students in its first year before moving into a newly constructed facility in its second year.

That building served the school for exactly 50 years, before the school moved to its current facilities in 1948.

In the years that followed, Rondebosch Boys’ High School has frequently produced important leaders and figures across the entire spectrum of achievement.

Allan M. Cormack is a Rondebosch Boys’ alumnus who won the 1979 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his role in developing the CAT scan.

What made Cormack’s achievement even more notable was the fact that he did not have a doctoral degree in any scientific field – a rare thing among winners of this award.

Michael Corbett, the former Chief Justice of South Africa, is also an old boy of Rondebosch Boys’ High School.

Corbett had the unique honour of officially administering the oath of office to President Nelson Mandela.

Whitey Basson, the retail icon best known for building Shoprite into a giant supermarket chain, also attended Rondebosch Boys’, as did South Africa’s most famous political cartoonist, Jonathan “Zapiro” Shapiro.

The school’s sporting accolades are equally impressive, with Rondebosch Boys’ producing a long list of over 70 international representatives.

This includes over 20 international rugby players, including Springboks like Hanyani Shimange and Gcobani Bobo, as well as 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning flyhalf Joel Stransky.

Gary Kirsten, a Proteas cricket legend and the World Cup-winning coach, also went to Rondebosch Boys’ High School, as did former Manchester United goalkeeper Gary Bailey.

A thriving institution

Throughout its history, Rondebosch Boys’ High School has established a reputation as one of the Western Cape’s leading public schools.

It has had 10 headmasters in its 129-year history, with Shaun Simpson currently leading the school.

Simpson said the school prides itself on offering a diverse range of activities to its learners.

“We offer a wide variety of activities to ensure that each boy can find his place and, in each of these, we strive to ensure that the best people possible offer the best programme,” said Simpson.

“Everything we do is seen as an opportunity to educate and grow our charges as both ethically and socially aware citizens of South Africa and of the world.”

Anchoring the school’s offerings is its academic success, with Rondebosch Boys’ High School consistently performing at a comparable level to many elite private schools.

Its academic prowess extends beyond the academic curriculum, too, with the school having won the UCT Mathematics Competition 19 times since 1998.

The Rondebosch Boys’ sports teams are also thriving, continuing to compete in a large range of sports including rugby, cricket, and hockey.

But the school does not limit itself to these traditional extra-curricular activities.

It also offers less traditional sports like boxing and fencing, while additional exercise opportunities are available through its ballroom dancing offerings.

Rondebosch Boys’ High School has partnered with its sister school, Rustenburg Girls’ High School, to offer this dance activity.

Boys can also learn to cook through a dedicated culinary society hosted at the school tuck shop.

By offering this combination of activities, the school aims to uphold its motto, Altius et Latius, which means “higher and wider.”

Rondebosch Boys’ High School Photos

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