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Schools & FamilyInternational Schools in Johannesburg: A Guide for Expat Families
Johannesburg has more genuinely international schools than any other South African city, American, British, German and French curricula alongside the country's strongest IEB private schools. The choice isn't whether Joburg has good schools; it's working out which curriculum fits your family's timeline before the good places fill up.
Why Johannesburg's school scene looks different to Cape Town's
Cape Town's expat schooling conversation is mostly IEB-versus-Cambridge-versus-IB at local private schools. Johannesburg has that same layer, but it also has a genuine cluster of home-curriculum international schools, built for a large, historically mobile corporate and diplomatic community rotating through the city on relocation packages. That's why you'll find a full American school, a German school, and a French lycée here, options Durban and even Cape Town don't really match at the same scale.
The trade-off is the one you'd expect: a true international school gives you a curriculum that transfers cleanly if you move again, usually at a real premium. A strong IEB school with a Cambridge or IB stream costs a fraction as much and plugs your child into the local system, which matters if you expect to stay through matric.
The curricula on offer
- American: the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) teaches an American curriculum through to the IB Diploma in the senior years, the default choice for US-posted families and anyone likely to apply to US universities.
- British / Cambridge (CAIE): British International College and several IEB-linked schools run Cambridge IGCSEs and A-Levels, suited to families connected to the UK, the Gulf or another Cambridge-curriculum country.
- German: the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg (DSJ) teaches bilingually in German and English toward the Abitur, and receives support from the German government's Zentralstelle für Auslandsschulwesen, which is why its fees sit well below every other international school in the city.
- French: Lycée Jules Verne follows the French national curriculum bilingually, feeding into the French Baccalaureate, and is the natural choice for French-posted families.
- IEB, with IB or Cambridge layered in: Redhill is the only school in the country offering a choice between IEB and IB in Grades 11 and 12. Strong traditional IEB schools (Roedean, St John's College, St Mary's School Waverley, Dainfern College, and the Reddam House campuses at Waterfall and Bedfordview) sit alongside these, several with Cambridge streams for families wanting a portable exit route without full international-school pricing.
The schools expat families ask about most
This isn't an exhaustive list (Johannesburg has dozens of good schools) but it's a reasonable starting shortlist for research.
| School | Curriculum | Approx. annual fees, 2026 (ZAR) |
|---|---|---|
| American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) | American, IB Diploma | ~R170,000 (Pre-K) rising to ~R622,000–R643,000 (Grades 11–12), plus a substantial new-student capital fee |
| Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg (DSJ) | German, bilingual, Abitur | ~R84,000–R111,000 across grades, the clear value option, thanks to German government subsidy |
| Lycée Jules Verne | French, bilingual, French Baccalaureate | ~R114,000–R149,000, depending on year group |
| British International College | Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level | Positions itself at the premium end of the market; fee schedules vary by reporting source, confirm current figures directly |
| Redhill School | IEB or IB (choice in Grades 11–12) | ~R121,000 (Grade R) to ~R190,000 (Grade 12 IEB); IB stream priced separately |
| Reddam House Waterfall | Cambridge / IEB | ~R96,000 (Nursery) rising to ~R214,000 (Grade 12) |
| Dainfern College | IEB, with Cambridge options | ~R114,000 (K3) rising to ~R190,000 (Grade 12) |
| Roedean, St John's College, St Mary's Waverley | IEB (single-sex) | Fees not fully published online; comparable to Dainfern/Reddam at the upper end, confirm with the school |
Two things worth reading off that table. AISJ is genuinely one of the most expensive schools in the country, and several schools quote fees partly in US dollars, so your rand cost moves with the exchange rate. And where a school doesn't publish fees online, treat any secondhand figure as a starting estimate, not a quote, go directly to the school for current numbers.
Worth knowing: "international school" and "expensive" aren't the same thing here. DSJ is genuinely one of the cheapest options in the city precisely because it's international, the subsidy that makes it possible comes from Germany, not South Africa.
Where these schools actually are
Almost every school above sits inside the same northern corridor that expat housing has clustered around for years, Sandton, Morningside, Bryanston, Fourways and Waterfall, roughly following the Gautrain line and the M1. That's not a coincidence: schools, hospitals, offices and secure housing have all followed the same money north over the past few decades. Email two or three target schools before you commit to a suburb, a property that looks perfect on a listing can quietly rule out the school run you actually wanted. Our guide to the best areas to live in Johannesburg is a good starting point once you know which schools are realistic.
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Government schools: still worth a look
It's easy to assume international or private is the only serious option, but Johannesburg's former "Model C" government schools (semi-independent, fee-charging public schools with real governance and a track record of solid results) can be excellent, at a fraction of private-school cost. The catch is the same as everywhere else: they're catchment-based and heavily oversubscribed in the suburbs expat families prefer, so living in the right postcode doesn't guarantee a place.
Applying: what to ask before you shortlist a suburb
Contact target schools directly, and ask specifically about:
- Current space and waiting-list position for your child's grade and year of entry
- Whether mid-year entry is possible, and what the process looks like
- Assessment or interview requirements for transferring students
- How the school handles gaps or mismatches from a previous curriculum (IEB ↔ Cambridge ↔ IB ↔ Abitur ↔ French Bac)
- Bus routes, if you're not yet settled on where you'll live
- How many internationally mobile children they take each year, a higher number usually means a more experienced settling-in process
Common early mistake: choosing a school on reputation alone without checking curriculum fit for how long you actually expect to stay. A strong IEB matric result matters less than it should if your child needs to slot back into a US, UK or French system two years later, ask the "what if we move again" question honestly before you commit.
Taken as a whole, Johannesburg's schooling options are one of the city's real strengths for relocating families, genuine curriculum choice, strong teaching, and a level of sport and extracurricular activity that's hard to match at equivalent private-school fees elsewhere in the world. Families who navigate it smoothly are almost always the ones who started the school conversation before the house hunt, not after.
Frequently asked questions
What curriculum options do Johannesburg's international schools offer?
Johannesburg has more curriculum variety than any other South African city: the American International School of Johannesburg runs an American curriculum through to the IB Diploma, the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg teaches to the German Abitur, Lycée Jules Verne follows the French Baccalaureate, British International College follows the Cambridge/CAIE pathway, and Redhill is the only school in the country letting families choose between IEB and IB in Grades 11 and 12. Alongside these sit strong local IEB private schools (Roedean, St John's, St Mary's, Dainfern College and the Reddam House campuses) some with Cambridge streams layered in.
How much do international schools cost in Johannesburg in 2026?
Johannesburg has the widest fee spread of any South African city. At the affordable end, the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg runs roughly R84,000 to R111,000 a year thanks to German government subsidy, and Cambridge/IEB schools like Reddam House Waterfall and Dainfern College run from around R96,000 to R214,000 across the grades. At the top, the American International School of Johannesburg runs from around R170,000 in Pre-K to R622,000–R643,000 for senior grades, plus a substantial capital fee for new families. Always confirm current figures directly with the school, since fees rise most years and several quote partly in US dollars.
Where are most of Johannesburg's international schools located?
Almost all of them sit in the same northern corridor expat families already gravitate to for housing (Sandton, Morningside, Bryanston, Fourways and Waterfall) which is also where the Gautrain, most private hospitals and the bulk of secure housing stock are concentrated. It's genuinely worth shortlisting schools before committing to a suburb, since a property that looks ideal can rule out the school run you actually want.
How early should I apply to international schools in Johannesburg?
As early as you reasonably can, ideally before you've signed a lease. The most sought-after schools and popular entry years (Grade 1, Grade 8) fill up well in advance, some schools don't publish fees or availability online at all, and mid-year places are genuinely scarce. A short email to two or three target schools asking about space, waiting-list position and realistic timelines will tell you more than weeks of forum research.
General information only, confirm current details for your situation.