Cities / Johannesburg / Roedean School SA
Roedean School SA
Independent girls' boarding and day school in Parktown, one of South Africa's most established IEB schools, serving around 800 students from Grade 0 to Matric. In 2025, 73 matric candidates achieved a 100% bachelor's pass rate and 307 distinctions; 2026…
In brief
Johannesburg's grande dame girls' school, founded in 1903 as a sister institution to Roedean Brighton in England. Day and boarding, ages 5 to 18, around 750 to 800 pupils from more than 47 nationalities. IEB matric, Round Square member.
Roedean has been one of the top-performing schools in South Africa for years, posting the highest distinction average for a girls-only school in 2024 with 4.42 distinctions per candidate. The Parktown campus carries serious sports, art, music, and theatre infrastructure, including a climbing wall, an indoor basketball court, an Astroturf, water polo and diving facilities, and a multimedia auditorium. Boarding is open to South African and international girls.
The school holds a long list of accreditations including CIS, NEASC, COBIS, BSO, and BSME, which is unusual for a southern African private school and signals serious external scrutiny. Old girls and current parents describe a culture that pairs structure with warmth and a network that opens doors after matric. Best fit for families wanting an academically serious all-girls option in central Johannesburg with the option of boarding from outside Gauteng.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 0 | 5 | Annual | ZAR 121,638 |
| Grades 1-2 | 6 | Annual | ZAR 142,922 |
| Grade 3 (Form I) | 8 | Annual | ZAR 167,703 |
| Grades 4-7 (Form II to Upper IV) | 9 | Annual | ZAR 188,282 |
| Grades 8-9 (Lower V, Middle V) | 13 | Annual | ZAR 211,775 |
| Grades 10-12 (Upper V, Ante Matric, Matric) | 15 | Annual | ZAR 233,104 |
| Compulsory Insurance (per annum) | One-time | ZAR 195 | |
| Building Levy (per annum) | One-time | ZAR 8,340 | |
| Weekly Boarding (per annum) | One-time | ZAR 143,994 | |
| Termly Boarding (per annum) | One-time | ZAR 179,991 |
Reviews
- Independent IEB girls' day and boarding school in Parktown, with a long-established place among Johannesburg's elite girls' schools alongside St Mary's and Kingsmead.
- Alumni describe a wealthy, well-connected cohort. One former pupil said her year included "daughters of billionaires and presidents".
- US admissions advisers describe Roedean SA pupils as well-prepared for overseas applications, with a culture of extracurricular involvement and dedicated overseas-counselling support.
- Drug culture among parents draws a sharp criticism in one Reddit account, alleging shared contacts for prescription opioids in the parent community. This is a single, second-hand claim and uncorroborated elsewhere.
- Round Square membership and Junior School pipeline mean the senior school recruits heavily from inside the system.
Head of school
Mrs. Lindi Dlamini
Mrs. Lindi Dlamini has been at the helm of Roedean as Executive Director of Roedean since January 2023 and is the first black woman to be in this role in the 120 years history of Roedean. She has a wealth of leadership experience with 20 years executive leadership experience. She serves as an Independent Non-Executive for a bank and wealth management firm. Prior to her tenure at Roedean School (SA), Lindi was the CEO of the President’s GBVF Response Fund which was set up in 2020 to resource the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as part of South Africa’s commitment to SDG5 (Gender Equality) and the country’s National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF. She was previously a CEO of Safrican Insurance Company, Group Executive of PPS Human Capital, MD of Alexander Forbes Retail and Group Executive for Emerging Consumer Markets and Retail Operations in South Africa at Liberty Holdings. She has over twenty-five years of financial services experience. She is a fellow of the sixth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALISA) and the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN). She holds BA (LAW); LLB and LLM degrees.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
- COBIS Patron's Accreditation and Compliance 03
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 04
- British Schools in the Middle East accreditation 05
Academic results
- IEB Pass Rate (2025) 100%
- IEB Bachelor Degree Pass (2025) 100%
- Subject Distinctions (2025) 307
- A Averages (2025) 37