From Sandton to Nairobi: South Africa’s ADvTECH is Quietly Building a Pan African Education Empire
The school group shaping tomorrow’s classrooms across Africa
From leafy Johannesburg suburbs to Nairobi’s bustling education corridors, South Africa’s ADvTECH is slowly but surely planting its flag across the continent. This week, the private education powerhouse confirmed it had acquired Regis Runda Academy in Kenya for R172 million, in a bold move that solidifies its ambition to become Africa’s most prominent education group.
The new acquisition will operate under the Makini Schools brand and be renamed Makini Schools Runda. With space for up to 2,000 students, the Runda-based school is positioned in one of Nairobi’s most rapidly developing areas. It joins a growing network of six Makini schools in Kenya, all under the ADvTECH umbrella.
“We are delighted to increase our Makini Schools footprint in Kenya and to bring the brand’s compelling proposition to parents and students,” said ADvTECH CEO Geoff Whyte.
Why Kenya? Why now?
Kenya’s private education sector has seen a notable boom over the last decade. With a growing middle class, an appetite for globalised curricula, and increased competition among international and regional schools, Nairobi has become a hotspot for premium education investments.
Regis Runda’s acquisition gives ADvTECH strategic access to one of East Africa’s most promising education corridors. Runda, just northeast of Nairobi, is a magnet for upwardly mobile families, making it a prime location for the group’s next flagship school.
This isn’t ADvTECH’s first rodeo in Kenya. Its Crawford International brand is already present in the region, alongside its existing Makini campuses. The group is clearly betting big on Kenya, and based on the numbers, it’s a calculated bet.
Africa-wide ambitions take shape
This latest move follows ADvTECH’s R135 million acquisition of five Flipper International Schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, back in November 2024. Add to that its three schools in Gaborone, Botswana, and its soon-to-launch Rosebank International University College in Accra, Ghana — and you start to see a clear pattern emerge.
While other South African education brands have focused inward, ADvTECH is going continental.
In fact, the new Ghanaian university, expected to open in September 2025, is part of a long-term plan to expand the group’s tertiary education footprint across key African cities. It’s a smart play — following the student journey from nursery to university under one trusted banner.
Social media sentiment and local buzz
Reactions to the acquisition have been largely positive, with Kenyan parents and education commentators noting the move as “a welcome boost to quality learning options in Nairobi’s northeast.” South African LinkedIn users, meanwhile, applauded ADvTECH’s forward-thinking strategy, with one comment reading:
“Love to see a South African brand going global the right way — focusing on quality education and building African futures.”
The big picture: South Africa’s export isn’t just wine or gold — it’s education
At a time when local universities are grappling with funding challenges and public schooling faces deep systemic issues, the growth of ADvTECH shows that private education remains one of South Africa’s most valuable exports.
Its move into other African countries signals something bigger: that local companies don’t need to look to Europe or the US for global growth. The next frontier is right here, on the continent — and the classroom is where the future is being built.
Source: Business Tech
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