The South African girls’ school ranked among the world’s top 100 and achieved 2.9 distinctions per candidate

St Anne’s Diocesan College is the only girls’ school in South Africa that features in Spear’s Magazine’s Schools Index 2026.

This index ranks the 100 leading private schools in the world and features five South African schools. The four others are boys-only schools.

St Anne’s Diocesan College is therefore the top South African girls-only private school, according to Spear’s.

The other schools that featured were Hilton College, Michaelhouse, Western Province Preparatory School, and Cordewalles Preparatory School.

St Anne’s Diocesan College was founded in Pietermaritzburg in 1877 and moved to Hilton Village in 1904.

The school was founded with support from the Anglican Church, and its first Headmistress was Emma Cresswell, who had previously worked at St Mary’s College in Richmond.

The school was initially known simply as ‘The Manse’ as it was located in a Presbyterian Manse, and had an intake of just 40 students in its first year.

Towards the end of 1877, it was decided to give the school its current name.

When the school moved to the Hilton area in 1904, it was due to the area’s better climate and the increased space for the school to grow.

St Anne’s Diocesan School grew quickly and embraced a wide range of extracurricular activities, including hockey, cricket, theatre, swimming, tennis, and even competitive shooting.

The school was also an early adopter of computing, buying its first computer in 1982 and establishing a computer centre with eight Apple machines in 1985.

Through this computer centre, each student received half an hour of practice per week, ensuring the whole school began its computer literacy journey.

The school launched a state-of-the-art sports centre in 2015, which enabled indoor hockey, basketball, and netball matches.

The following year, the school issued each Grade 8 learner a laptop for the first time, and, in the same year, it formalised its Information Digital Literacy Programme.

Today, the school is led by Debbie Martin, the first and only old girl to become its College Head.

A leading private school in South Africa

Today, the school stands as one of the country’s premier independent schools.

The school’s goal is to be fertile ground for nurturing women of significance who will positively impact others.

It focuses on warmth, kindness, integrity, a confident sense of identity, responsible use of their voice, leadership and meaningful actions.

The school actively promotes its strong heritage while embracing innovation. This balance is one of the reasons behind the school’s excellent academic results.

In 2025, the school’s learners all achieved a Bachelor pass, qualifying them for university admission.

The 85 learners achieved a combined 248 distinctions, averaging 2.9 A’s per candidate.

94% of learners achieved a distinction in at least one subject, and 77% of the individual marks achieved across all subjects were either A or B symbols.

The school prides itself on offering a robust co-curricular programme, too, ensuring learners have a comprehensive learning experience.

The school defines its co-curricular activities across four categories:

• Dramatic Arts – the school has its own theatre where all girls get the opportunity to be involved in the many facets of the Drama department and the school’s productions.
• Music – the school offers a wide range of opportunities across genres such as classical, rock, jazz, and contemporary music, as well as sound production classes and a Chapel Choir.
• Sport – The school has a strong sporting tradition and excellent facilities including a gym, heated swimming pool, indoor hockey fields, a soccer field, a state-of-the-art sports centre, indoor basketball and netball courts, squash courts, and a 2.7 km cross-country course.
• Enrichment – The school runs many additional programmes including coding, debating, public speaking, an environmental club, exchange programmes, the President’s Award, and a social responsibility programme.

Notable alumni of St Anne’s Diocesan School include model Candice Swanepoel, historian Killie Campbell, and author Caro Feely.

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St Anne’s Diocesan College photos

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