Home › Guides › School Fees 2026
Schools & FamilyInternational School Fees in South Africa: What Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban Actually Cost in 2026
Expect roughly R90,000 to R220,000 a year at the more affordable schools we cover (DSK, Reddam House Waterfall and Dainfern) and up to about R643,000 a year for the top high-school grades at AISJ, on the 2026/27 figures we found. The school and its curriculum matter more than the city, and capital fees, application fees and transport come on top of tuition.
The sections below cover Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, plus what gets added on top of the advertised tuition figure.
Why the range is so wide
"International school" covers a lot of ground in South Africa. At one end are full American, British or German curriculum schools built for a mobile expat market, and the American ones tend to charge the most. At the other end are strong local private schools, many running the IEB (Independent Examinations Board) National Senior Certificate, and some adding Cambridge IGCSE or A-Level streams, which gives families a portable qualification without full international-school pricing.
Much of the choice comes down to full international pricing versus an excellent local private school with an international exit route. Currency can matter too: ask each school which currency it bills in, because a fee set in a foreign currency moves with the exchange rate over a multi-year stay.
2026 fee comparison: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban
The table below pulls together published 2026 fee schedules (2026/27 for the two American schools, 2027 for ISCT) and, where we couldn't confirm a school's figures, a clearly flagged estimate. Figures are annual tuition only, in rand, excluding one-off capital/registration fees unless noted: see below for what typically gets added.
| School | City | Curriculum | Approx. annual tuition, 2026 to 2027 (ZAR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| American International School of Cape Town (AISCT) | Cape Town | American, AP | ~R115,500 (Nursery/K1) rising to ~R296,000 (Grades 9–12) |
| International School of Cape Town (ISCT) | Cape Town | Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level | 2027: ~R97,000 (Nursery) rising to ~R191,000 (Years 10–12), plus a technology levy |
| German International School Cape Town (DSK) | Cape Town | German curriculum, Abitur/IEB | ~R97,000 flat across grades (lower than peers: see note below) |
| American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) | Johannesburg | American, IB Diploma | ~R170,000 (Pre-K) to ~R643,000 (Grades 11–12) |
| Reddam House Waterfall | Johannesburg | IEB | ~R96,000 (Nursery) rising to ~R214,000 (Grade 12) |
| Dainfern College | Johannesburg | IEB | ~R114,000 (K3) rising to ~R190,000 (Grade 12) |
| Reddam House Umhlanga | Durban | IEB | ~R67,000 rising to ~R187,000 depending on stage and day length; boarding extra |
| Curro Select, Umhlanga | Durban | Usually IEB at Curro Select schools: confirm for this campus | Our own rough, unconfirmed estimate: R85,000–R150,000+, higher for senior grades. Confirm the campus and fees with the school |
A few things worth reading off that table. Fees climb sharply from early years to senior grades at most schools (often doubling or more between kindergarten and Grade 12), so budget for the grade your child will actually be in for most of their time in South Africa, not the entry-level number.
DSK's flat, comparatively low fee isn't a mistake: it belongs to Germany's network of schools abroad, which the German government supports through its Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen. We haven't found a source saying how much that lowers the fee, but it may be part of the reason. ISCT and Reddam House Umhlanga post their schedules as PDFs on their own websites, so download the current one and check the figure for your child's grade.
Cape Town: three established options
Cape Town has three well-established options. AISCT, in Constantia, is the priciest of the three on the figures we could confirm and follows an American curriculum through to AP; its 2026/2027 schedule runs from roughly R115,500 in the early years to around R296,000 for Grades 9–12, on top of a R50,000 annual capital fee for five years and a R1,500 application fee.
ISCT offers Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels. Its 2027 schedule runs from about R97,000 (Nursery) to R191,000 (Years 10 to 12) a year, plus a technology levy. DSK, with campuses in Tamboerskloof and Tygerberg, is the clear value option at roughly R97,000 a year across grades plus a modest R2,000 admission fee.
Optional extras such as the DSK school bus (full use is listed at about R2,200 a month on the school's fees page) and aftercare add up if you need them. DSK's German curriculum makes it a natural first stop for families relocating from Germany specifically; our guide to moving to South Africa from Germany covers the wider visa and tax picture. For all the Cape Town schools side by side, see our Cape Town international schools guide.
Johannesburg: the biggest spread, top to bottom
Johannesburg has the widest fee spread of the three cities, mostly because of AISJ. The American International School of Johannesburg, in Sandton/Bryanston, is the most expensive school in our table by a wide margin: 2026/2027 fees run from around R170,000 in Pre-K to R479,000 for Elementary, R559,000 for Middle School, and R622,000–R643,000 for the two High School bands. New students also pay a one-off capital fee (about R185,000 from Kindergarten up; none is charged in Pre-K) and an application fee of around R4,200.
At the other end, Reddam House Waterfall and Dainfern College both follow the IEB National Senior Certificate. Reddam Waterfall runs from roughly R96,000 to R214,000 across the full age range, and Dainfern from roughly R114,000 to R190,000, both a fraction of AISJ's cost. Dainfern's Cambridge stream has ended: the Class of 2024 was its last, and the IEB certificate is now its only exit qualification. If you want a strong local qualification without AISJ-level fees, ask both for a quote. For more on each school, see our Johannesburg international schools guide.
Durban: fewer dedicated international schools
Durban doesn't have the density of dedicated international schools that Cape Town and Johannesburg do. Expat families in Durban more often choose a strong local private or IEB school, such as Reddam House Umhlanga (in Prestondale, on the edge of Umhlanga Ridge) or Curro Select's Umhlanga campus, rather than a purpose-built international school. Reddam House Umhlanga's 2026 schedule runs from about R67,000 to R187,000 a year, depending on stage and day length, with boarding priced separately.
We couldn't confirm a published fee schedule, or the campus details, for Curro Select's Umhlanga campus, so treat a rough R85,000 to R150,000+ (rising for senior grades) as our own unconfirmed estimate, not a quote, and get current figures from the school directly. For the fuller local picture, see our Durban international schools guide and our cost of living in Durban breakdown.
What gets added on top of tuition
The headline tuition number is rarely the full annual cost. Budget separately for:
- Registration/application fees: typically R500 to R5,000, paid once when applying.
- Capital, building or development levies: these vary widely. We found a new-student capital fee of about R185,000 at AISJ from Kindergarten up, and R50,000 a year for five years at AISCT, so ask each school whether its levy is once-off or repeated.
- Uniforms and equipment: often several thousand rand for a full initial kit.
- Transport: school bus services commonly cost R1,000–R2,500 a month.
- Aftercare and lunch programmes: usually optional and billed separately.
- Exam fees: IEB, IB Diploma and Cambridge A-Level entries in the senior grades are usually billed separately from tuition.
- Sibling discounts: some schools offer reductions for second and later children (DSK does, on tuition), but terms differ, so ask each school what applies.
Get the full 2026 relocation guide
30+ pages: visas, neighbourhoods, schools, healthcare, money and safety. Free.
Budgeting for the years ahead, not just year one
Fees at almost every school above rise each year, and the size of the rise varies, so ask each school how much it raised fees by last year and what it expects next. A multi-year stay should be budgeted with real annual increases in mind, not a flat multiple of this year's number. Fees also jump at specific transition points (into Grade 1, into the senior IEB/IB years) rather than smoothly, so a child starting young will cost meaningfully more by matric than the entry-level fee suggests.
Ask each school which currency it bills in as well. If any part of the fees is in a foreign currency, the rand cost will move with the exchange rate over that commitment.
Shortlisting schools and getting written quotes
There's no single cost of international school in South Africa. Within one city the gap can be large: in Johannesburg, AISJ's top high-school tuition is about three times Reddam House Waterfall's. Durban has fewer dedicated international options. Start with curriculum fit. If the family expects to move again and needs a fully portable qualification, look at the IB, American and Cambridge schools; if the move is likely to last through matric, a strong IEB school may be enough, and it costs less at the schools in this guide.
Then shortlist two or three schools and ask each for its written fee schedule for your child's grade and year of entry. Some already post a 2027 schedule (ISCT does), so check which year a document covers and what is billed on top of tuition.
Frequently asked questions
How much do international school fees cost in South Africa in 2026?
It depends heavily on the school and grade, but as a working range for 2026, expect roughly R90,000 to R220,000 a year at the more affordable end (German International School Cape Town, Reddam House Waterfall and Dainfern, across the grades) rising to roughly R479,000 to R643,000 a year at the top end, for Elementary through High School at the American International School of Johannesburg. Johannesburg has the widest spread because of AISJ, while the American school in Cape Town tops out at around R296,000; Durban's dedicated international options are fewer.
What is the difference between an "international" school and a private IEB school in South Africa?
An international school typically follows a curriculum designed to be portable across countries (the International Baccalaureate or IB, Cambridge IGCSE/A-Levels, or a home-country curriculum like the American or German systems) and is often accredited by an international body such as the Council of International Schools (CIS). A South African private IEB school follows the National Senior Certificate via the Independent Examinations Board, which is a strong, well-regarded local qualification but not designed primarily for switching school systems mid-career. A few schools offer Cambridge as well as, or instead of, the IEB (Reddam House Durbanville offers both, and some Curro Select schools teach Cambridge AS and A Level), which blurs the line in practice.
What extra costs come on top of the advertised tuition fee?
Almost every school charges a one-off registration or application fee (commonly R500 to R5,000), plus a capital, building or development levy that varies widely by school: we found a new-student capital fee of about R185,000 at AISJ from Kindergarten up, and R50,000 a year for five years at AISCT. On top of that, budget separately for uniforms, a school bus if you need one (often R1,000 to R2,500 a month), aftercare, lunch programmes, exam fees in the senior years, and, if a school bills in a foreign currency, exposure to rand exchange-rate movements.
Which city has the cheapest international schooling: Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban?
On the schools we could check, no city is clearly the cheapest. The lowest 2026 tuition we found in Cape Town and Johannesburg is at the German International School Cape Town (DSK, about R97,000 a year) and Reddam House Waterfall (from about R96,000), and the American schools (AISCT and especially AISJ) sit at the top of the market. Durban has fewer dedicated international schools, so expat families there more often use strong IEB private schools, whose published fees can start lower: Reddam House Umhlanga's 2026 schedule runs from about R67,000 to R187,000. Compare written schedules for the grades you need.
How much are American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) fees?
AISJ sits at the top of the Johannesburg range. Published 2026/27 tuition runs from about R170,000 for the early years to about R643,000 for Grades 11 and 12, before the one-off capital fee, application fee and transport. It is the most expensive option in the city, and the gap between it and the strong IEB private schools is large enough that many expat families price both before deciding. Always take the fee schedule from the school's own admissions office, since figures are set for each academic year.
How much are German school fees in South Africa?
The German International School Cape Town (DSK), in Tamboerskloof and Tygerberg, is the clear value option among the schools we cover, at roughly R97,000 a year flat across grades plus a modest R2,000 admission fee, well below the American schools in this guide. That flat rate may be helped by DSK's place in Germany's network of schools abroad, which the German government supports through its Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen; the American schools are outside that network. Always confirm the current fee schedule directly with the school, since figures are reviewed each year.
General information only, not tax/financial/medical advice: confirm current rules and consult a qualified professional.