How much does it cost to: Attend St Stithians College?

Parents of pupils at St Stithians College in 2026 face annual tuition fees ranging from around R74 540 for Grade RRR to almost R200 000 for high school pupils, according to the school’s fee schedule.

The private school based in Lyme Park in Sandton in Gauteng has been in the news of late due to the tragic death of one of its Grade 11 learners, Cameron Waldeck-Cooks.

As yet unconfirmed post-mortem reports suggest that Waldeck-Cooks, who attended St Stithians Girls’ College, was strangled by St Stithians Boys College alumnus Ethan Coetzee.

Waldeck-Cooks was 17.

Coetzee, 19, who matriculated from the school in 2025, reportedly committed suicide thereafter.

As at the time of publishing, the investigation remains ongoing.

St Stithians College 2026 fees

Grade	Annual	Monthly × 10	Entrance fee
Grade RRR	R74 540	R7 785	R5 725
Grade RR	R99 745	R10 420	R6 950
Grades R-2	R132 270	R13 815	R40 425
Grades 3-5	R151 275	R15 800	R40 425
Grades 6-7	R170 635	R17 825	R40 425
Grades 8-9	R199 680	R20 855	R40 425
Grade 10	R199 680	R20 855	R23 740
Grades 11-12	R199 680	R20 855	R10 305
Boys’ College boarding, Grades 8-12	R146 615	R15 315	R15 315*

*The boarding amount listed under the entrance-fee column is a refundable boarding fee deposit, rather than a standard entrance fee.

Additional costs

Fee	Amount
New enrolment application fee	R650
Annual Capital Development Fee	R8 620

For the youngest pupils, annual tuition starts at R74 540 for Grade RRR, rising to R99 745 for Grade RR.

Tuition for Grades R to Grade 2 is R132 270 per year, while Grades 3 to 5 cost R151 275.

For Grades 6 and 7, parents pay R170 635 annually.

The biggest jump comes in the high school years, with tuition for Grades 8 to 12 listed at R199 680 per year.

The school allows parents paying monthly to spread tuition over 10 instalments (or an annual once-off), with the published monthly amounts ranging from about R7 785 for Grade RRR to R20 855 for Grades 8 to 12.

Monthly payments run from January to October on the first or seventh working day of each month, while annual fees are payable around 11 January.

Boarding comes at an additional cost

For boys in Grades 8 to 12 who board, the published boarding fee is R146 615 per year, or approximately R15 315 per month over 10 months, in addition to tuition.

This means that a high school learner who boards faces tuition and boarding costs of roughly R346 295 a year, before applicable additional fees.

While that sounds like an awful lot of money – post-tax – St Stithians is only the eighth-most expensive boys school in South Africa, and the 13th-most overall.

Hilton College leads the way at a cost of R450 893 per annum, followed by fellow KwaZulu-Natal school Michaelhouse at R417 000.

Parents also need to budget for admission costs

Tuition isn’t the only expense for a new pupil.

The school’s 2026 schedule includes a R650 non-refundable application fee, while entrance fees, which are also non-refundable, amount to up to R40 425, and vary depending on the grade and are payable when a place is accepted.

A Capital Development Fee of R8 620 per annum per student is also charged as a dedicated source of revenue for facilities capital expenditure and campus enhancement.

That means the cost of entering St Stithians for the first time can be substantially higher than the advertised annual tuition alone.

And that’s before factoring in the additional costs that come with a private-school education, including uniforms, transport, activities, sport and other school-related expenses.

Notable alumni

Cricket

• Roy Pienaar (class of 1978), South African professional cricketer
• David Rundle (class of 1983), South African cricketer
• David Terbrugge (class of 1994), South African cricketer
• Kagiso Rabada (class of 2013), South African cricketer
• Ryan Rickelton (class of 2014), South African first-class cricketer.

Golf

• Haydn Porteous (class of 2010), South African professional golfer

Rugby

• Lance Sherrell (class of 1984), Springbok rugby player
• Brent Russell (class of 1996), Springbok rugby player
• Asenathi Ntlabakanye (class of 2017), Lions and Springbok rugby player

Swimming

• Jean Basson (class of 2005), South African professional swimmer

Tennis

• Kevin Anderson (class of 2004), South African professional tennis player

Politics

• Ian Shapiro (class of 1968), political scientist
• James Lorimer M.P. (class of 1979), shadow minister for the Democratic Alliance

Theatre, film, broadcasting and acting

• Gavin Hood (class of 1981), filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, and actor

Music

• Dave Matthews (class of 1985), lead singer of the Dave Matthews Band
• Zwai Bala (class of 1994), member of TKZee
• Kabelo Mabalane (class of 1995), member of TKZee
• Kyle Watson (class of 2006), South African DJ and record producer

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