South Africa

New Afrikaans university campus in one of South Africa’s most sought-after areas

Daily Investor • 29 May 2026

Akademia has acquired 105 hectares of land in the Boschenmeer area in Paarl to develop a new Afrikaans university campus in the Western Cape.

This site, known as Vêrgesig, is earmarked for development by the property investment company Kanton.

This is the same development partner currently responsible for developing Akademia’s campus in the eastern part of Pretoria.

Akademia’s first full-time students in Paarl have already begun studying this year at a temporary campus at 1 Breda Street, Esterville.

The acquisition of Vêrgesig is, therefore, the strategic continuation of Akademia’s presence in this region, and specifically in Paarl.

“The future development project reflects the institution’s long-term commitment to the Afrikaans language and cultural communities in the Western Cape,” it said.

Akademia’s executive director, Marthinus Visser, said the land purchase gives the institution’s positive growth trajectory momentum.

“It represents yet another important chapter in the establishment of Afrikaans university education,” Visser said. “With this step, Akademia confirms its intention to establish a permanent academic home in the Western Cape.”

He added that the new campus will help the organisation serve Afrikaans students, the language and cultural communities, and mother-tongue education.

According to current planning, this campus will eventually accommodate approximately 3,000 students.

“The dream is to build a beautiful campus at the foot of the Wemmershoek Mountains with all the necessary facilities for a residential student campus,” he said.

The new Akademia campus location

Visser explained that the Vêrgesig site has a topography ideally suited for an integrated campus development.

“A waterway flowing into the Berg River provides additional support for the site’s future water needs,” he said.

“On clear days, the view from Vêrgesig stretches as far as Table Mountain and the Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument.”

The project is currently in an early phase. Kanton is busy with the prescribed urban planning processes to obtain the necessary development rights.

The timeline for the future development will be determined by the successful establishment and expansion of Akademia as an institution in Paarl.

Professor Gawie du Toit, head of Akademia’s Paarl campus, said the site offers the institution an exceptional opportunity.

“The campus will make a meaningful contribution to strengthening Afrikaans as a language of science and as a medium of teaching, learning, and vocation,” he said.

Akademia’s establishment in the Western Cape has, from the outset, been characterised by dedicated community involvement.

“It was the Western Cape community that approached the institution to establish a full-time campus in the region,” it said.

Kanton managing director Henk Schalekamp described the lead-up to the land purchase as a particularly meaningful journey.

“The goodwill of the Afrikaans community in the Western Cape deeply moved everyone involved,” said Schalekamp. “From the outset, this project testifies to what is possible when communities build a shared future together.”

Akademia said that its Pretoria campus, which is currently under construction, shows what people can expect from its Western Cape campus.

“That campus will open its doors in 2028 and will serve as an academic home where students can study, grow, and flourish in their mother tongue,” it said.

The new Akademia campus in Pretoria offers a clear indication of the vision planned for Paarl as well.