Private education group AdvTech plans to expand its international schools business, develop its tertiary offering and extend distance learning further into Africa.
The group, which operates schools in South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Ghana and Ethiopia, has identified further expansion of Rosebank International into African markets as one of its strategic priorities.
CEO Geoff Whyte said in a capital markets day presentation that the group would prioritise countries where AdvTech already operates as it seeks to grow its international schools business.
The strategy includes expanding its existing schools, increasing student capacity and developing its tertiary operations in markets outside South Africa.
AdvTech entered Ethiopia in 2024 through the acquisition of Flipper International School, which operates five schools in Addis Ababa. The schools have about 3,000 students and 450.
The group said the acquisition was a “good fit with [our] existing mid-fee African model”, which focuses on providing education at prices below those charged by premium private schools.
Expansion projects
AdvTech has since increased capacity at Flipper’s Lancia campus through relocation, adding space for 450 more students. It is also introducing its technology and teaching systems across the schools.
In Kenya, the group is expanding its Makini school network, which it bought in September 2025. Student numbers at Makini Runda have increased from 1,160 at the time of acquisition to 1,470.
AdvTech is undertaking a redevelopment project at the school that will increase its capacity to 3,150 students. The work includes additional classrooms, computer and science laboratories, robotics facilities, libraries and sports facilities.
The group is also expanding Makini Statehouse, where renovations are under way to increase capacity from 280 to 575 students. The project is expected to be completed in January next year.
Its existing Crawford International School in Nairobi has also been expanded, from 900 to 1,300 students in 2025.
AdvTech’s tertiary expansion is another part of its African growth plans.
Rosebank International University College in Ghana opened in January this year, marking the group’s entry into the country’s tertiary education market. The institution has capacity for 350 students, with plans to accommodate up to 900.
Enrolments ‘running ahead’
AdvTech said enrolments at the institution were “running ahead of business case” during its first year of operation.
Additional facilities and classroom space are being added to meet demand. The group has also set a target of achieving full university status for the Ghanaian institution in 2027.
Beyond expanding physical campuses, AdvTech plans to take its distance learning offering into other African markets from Ghana.
The group has been growing its online tertiary qualifications in South Africa and says its next strategy includes using its Ghana operation as a base for expansion into other African countries.
Its longer-term priorities also include expanding Rosebank International into new African markets, while continuing to add schools in countries where it already operates.
The expansion comes as AdvTech continues to increase the proportion of its business generated by education. In its 2026 half-year breakdown, education accounted for 87% of group revenue and 96% of operating profit, compared with 81% and 94%, respectively, in 2024.
The group’s international schools operations contributed 6% of revenue and 8% of operating profit in the first half of 2026.
Business Day
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