South African education giant buys 90-year-old private school

Advtech has acquired the historic St George’s School property in Gqeberha to establish The Bridge School’s first Eastern Cape campus. 

St George’s School was founded in 1936 by Raymond Hutchinson as a private preparatory school for boys.

It became a co-educational school in 1987, and added a pre-preparatory phase in 2000. A year later, it also added a college and high school phase.

Today, the school forms part of the Curro group, which announced in May 2026 that it will be shut down at the end of this year.

Curro cited low enrolment and ongoing financial losses, saying the decision to close will affect 197 pupils and 51 members of staff.

“Enrolment has remained materially below the level required for the school to operate sustainably,” Curro said. 

“The school has continued to incur significant operating losses, and the fixed-cost pressures of facilities, staffing, regulatory compliance, and utilities are not supported by the current or projected learner base.”

However, the property in which the school was based will now get a new lease on life under Advtech.

The JSE-listed private education giant announced on Wednesday, 14 October, that it has acquired the St George’s School property in Gqeberha, where it plans to establish a new campus.

This campus will be situated in the St George’s Park area and will have capacity for 450 students.

It will form part of Advtech’s The Bridge School, which was established in 2018 and focuses on students with personalised learning pathways.

The new Gqeberha campus will, therefore, provide assisted learning, tailored to the individual needs of neurodivergent children. 

“This acquisition responds to growing demand for specialised schooling and flows from our commitment to provide education of the highest quality for every student,” said Advtech CEO Geoff Whyte. 

Starting in 2027, Advtech plans to enhance the site’s existing academic, cultural, and sporting facilities.

This will include adding specialist learning and therapy spaces to elevate the student experience and maximise academic outcomes.  

The group said teachers with expertise in neurodivergent learning will also be recruited or relocated to staff the school.