Independent Schools in Africa (Updated 2025)
Independent schools play an increasingly significant role across Africa’s education landscape, offering alternatives to government-run public schools for families seeking different academic models, curricula and learning environments. This updated review presents the latest available data, policy context, cost trends, and implications for parents, students, educators and policymakers in 2025.
Independent schools, sometimes called private schools, are institutions governed autonomously rather than by public education authorities. They include a wide range of models: faith-based schools, international curricula, low-fee private providers, for-profit chains and elite boarding schools. Their influence varies widely across the continent, shaped by economics, policy frameworks and local education needs.
Independent School Enrollment and Growth Trends
Across sub-Saharan Africa and other regions of the continent, independent education has grown steadily over the past two decades, responding to demand where public systems struggle to meet capacity and quality expectations. World Bank data prior to 2025 indicate that in some African countries private enrollment accounts for a significant share of total schooling, though averages vary widely across nations.
In Southern Africa, South Africa remains one of the most documented case studies. As of 2025, the country had several thousand independent schools, educating hundreds of thousands of learners. Estimates suggest more than 2,325 independent schools operate nationwide, enrolling around 400,000 students, or roughly 3 percent of the total learner population.
The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA), a major membership
