South Africa’s biggest private Afrikaans ‘university’ wants to make it official

Akademia plans to apply for university status once a new government policy is finalised.

The Afrikaans-medium private higher education provider believes that obtaining this official status will strengthen its academic standing.

It also believes that the recognition of private institutions as universities indicates the significant impact the private higher education sector is having in South Africa.

This is according to Akademia registrar Liana van Rooy, who told Daily Investor that Akademia plans to apply for university status.

It will soon be able to do so through the government’s new Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types.

This policy was enacted on 17 October 2025, allowing eligible private higher education institutions to apply for university or university college status.

The groundwork for the policy was laid in 2016, when Parliament amended the Higher Education Act.

The amendment established the legal foundation and statutory definitions for a three-tiered institutional system: Higher Education Colleges, University Colleges, and Universities.

Six years later, the draft of the Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types was published.

After extensive consultations, the policy was promulgated and enacted on 17 October 2025.

However, private institutions cannot yet apply for university status, as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) must first publish the secondary operational implementation guidelines.

These guidelines must outline the application process, timelines, and criteria, and are still being drafted.

Once finalised, the guidelines will be released, and the DHET will open the submission window for private institutions to apply.

This comes at a time when private education is showing rapid growth in South Africa, with 130 such institutions now operating in the country.

Private higher education, in particular, has grown in popularity as an increasing number of students cannot afford public universities or are not accepted.

Private institutions have stepped in to fill that gap. Akademia is one of them, now boasting 4,500 students.

Akademia is in the process of building a new campus in Pretoria East that can accommodate 3,500 students. It is set to open in 2028.

JSE-listed Stadio has also benefited from the shift towards private education, reporting 56,171 students at the end of June 2026.

This means Stadio’s student numbers now rival established institutions such as the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and the University of the Witwatersrand.

Akademia plans to apply for university status

Van Rooy told Daily Investor that Akademia plans to apply for university status once the Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types is finalised.

Van Rooy explained that Akademia already meets rigorous quality standards, and that the private education sector operates in a highly regulated environment.

“The fact that private institutions can now be recognised as universities is undoubtedly an indication of the significant impact the private higher education sector is making in South Africa,” she said.

She said that gaining the official status will further strengthen Akademia’s academic standing and enhance its visibility in both national and international academic circles.

In addition, it will enable the institution to fulfil its “distinctive purpose with even greater clarity and confidence”.

“Many private higher education institutions already offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across various faculties, conduct meaningful research, and deliver teaching and learning of an excellent standard,” she said. 

“I therefore do not anticipate that university status will significantly alter the day-to-day activities of many of these institutions.”

“Rather, it will formally recognise the contribution they are already making to South Africa’s higher education landscape – a development we warmly welcome.”

She said university status does not fundamentally change the benefits students already enjoy. 

Instead, she said it formally recognises the academic credibility, established quality, and contribution of institutions that are already delivering excellence in higher education.

“The recognition of private universities further broadens the higher education landscape, offering students greater choice in finding an institution that aligns with their academic aspirations, values, and personal development,” she added.

Aside from Akademia, JSE-listed Advtech has also confirmed that its tertiary education groups, Rosebank International and Emeris, are preparing to apply for university status.

Daily Investor also reached out to Stadio and Eduvos to ask whether they plan to apply for university status but did not receive a response.