South Africa’s first Afrikaans private school turns 90

Jan Celliers Laerskool & Preprimêr, established in 1935, claims to be the oldest Afrikaans-medium private school in South Africa. 

This year, the Primary school in Johannesburg is celebrating its 90th birthday. After a long and proud history, it has become one of the top schools in the country. 

The first purely Afrikaans-medium high school in South Africa was the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria, which opened in January 1920; however, this is not a private school.

Additionally, the first school to use Afrikaans as its medium of instruction was the Huguenot Memorial School established by the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaaners in 1882. 

The oldest Afrikaans-medium private school, Jan Celliers, is known for its performance.

Past pupils achieve an average of 4.5 distinctions in matric, but despite a focus on academics,  the school’s ethos emphasises a strong dedication to cultural and sporting activities as well.

This echoes the words of its first principal, who said in 1943: “The school will ensure that the child has been thoroughly educated and prepared for the future.

“After this, full attention must also be given to the development of their artistic sense and the cultivation of those values that will make them a happy person.”

This holistic education comes at a price. The cost of school fees for the school was R128,000 per year for grades 4 to 7 in 2025. 

The establishment of the first private, Afrikaans-language school began in December 1933, when a group of parents gathered to discuss wanting a better future for their children. 

At the time, in the affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg, there were already 20 English schools, but not one Afrikaans school. 

According to Jan Celliers, this also coincided with the migration of Afrikaners to the more affluent suburbs.

The plans to establish the school were received favourably by the state school board, but there was much red tape for the school to go through before it opened its doors for the first time in January 1935. 

Many involved did not approve of privatising the school, worrying about the cost. The founding board held a vote, requiring 70% support for the school to be a private institution, and achieved a slim victory of 73%.

The school first opened in the Masonic Hall in Parktown North, and was called Noordelike Voorstedeskool. 

A world-class school that’s proudly Afrikaans

On the first day, however, the three staff members and a handful of children who attended had to be sent home, as the children had no desks or books. Books had to be borrowed from neighbouring schools, and the school officially began the following day. 

The school took on its current name in October 1936, with demand from the community for a school with a proud, Afrikaans identity. 

Its namesake, Jan Celliers, was the State Librarian in 1894, after working his way up through the Department of Education. 

He fought in the Anglo-Boer War and fled the country after the war, before returning in 1907 to work in the Department of Home Affairs. 

He also worked as a poet, writer and translator. The school felt the name was appropriate as Jan Celliers ushered in a new era of Afrikaans culture, and the school would usher in a new era of Afrikaans education.

After two and a half years, the school moved to the former clubhouse of the Parkview Golf Club, but found the facilities were still inadequate. 

After three years and six months of temporary venues, the school moved to its current building in 1938. Today, while the school has expanded, its original buildings remain carefully restored – a testament to its history.

The school has its own culture centre, employing 14 instrument specialists to instruct children in piano, keyboard, violin, recorder, flute, clarinet, saxophone, drums and guitar.

It is also one of the only Afrikaans-medium schools to offer English First Language, equipping learners to attend any of South Africa’s most prestigious high schools when they leave the school gates. 

“At Jan Celliers Primary and Pre-Primary School, we pride ourselves on creating an environment where every child, from 3 months to 13 years, can grow and thrive,” said current Principal Sanet Smit.

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More photos from Jan Celiiers Laerskool & PrePrimêre: