Three new private ‘university’ campuses for South Africa

Advtech has reported R2 billion operating profit for the first time, as demand for private education continues to grow.

Advtech is Africa’s largest private education provider, operating through brands like Crawford, Trinityhouse, Vega and Varsity College.

Over the past year, the company has completed the construction of two new mega campuses in Sandton and Nelson Mandela Bay, with plans to construct another in Durban next year.

On Monday, 23 March, Advtech released its results for the year through December 2025, which revealed a record performance for the group.

Group revenue increased by 10% to R9.33 billion, while its operating profit grew by 14% to reach a record R2.04 billion.

Advtech’s profit for the year was R1.33 billion, up 15% from the 2024 financial year. Its headline earnings were R1.3 billion, up 17%.

The company recorded basic earnings per share of 234.4 cents, up 16% from the previous year.

CEO Geoff Whyte attributed this strong performance to healthy enrolment growth, moderate fee increases, improved debtor control and increased margins.

“Simplification of our brand structures alongside significant investment in people, systems, and infrastructure continues to strengthen our position as the leading provider of private education on the African continent,” Whyte said.

The company’s results showed that its cash generated by operating activities increased by 20% to R2.69 billion.

These funds were used to fund, among others, a net repayment on loan facilities of R241 million, capital expenditure (capex) of R1.03 billion, and an acquisition of R171 million.

The capex spend was mainly aimed at increasing capacity on Advtech’s existing sites to meet incremental demand, as well as at completing its new Emeris/Vega mega campuses in Sandton and Nelson Mandela Bay. Both of these campuses started to operate in January 2026.

The group is currently at the development stage of its new Emeris Durban campus. 

Construction is expected to commence in 2027, with phase one scheduled to open in 2029. The initial build will accommodate approximately 8,000 students and include a purpose-built 500-bed student residence. 

The second phase, which should be completed in 2035, will expand the campus’s capacity to 10,500 students and the accommodation’s capacity by a further 500 beds.

“Advtech is uniquely positioned to enrich people’s lives through being the leader in teaching and learning across the African continent,” Whyte said. 

“Our sound balance sheet, strong cash generation, growing scale and expertise in Africa and unrelenting focus on extending competitive advantage position us well to maintain our growth trajectory and invest with confidence in areas of opportunity.”