Last Updated on November 17, 2022
This guide is for those who want to know about online high schools in South Africa.
In recent years, a great number of parents have chosen to enroll their children in online high schools. It is safer, more affordable and saves you time. Children can now attend online classes from experienced teachers from the comfort of their own home.
Research shows that school learners who receive lessons online retain 25 – 60% more learning material than the 8 – 10% they would if they were being taught in a physical classroom. This is because learners are able to learn at their own pace, skip, accelerate, and re-read learning material as they choose.
We know you’ve been wondering whether to enroll your children in an online high school too. That’s why we compiled a list of online high schools in South Africa, whether they’re accredited by the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) or the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and their annual or monthly fees. All you have to do is pick one that’s the best fit for both you and your child.
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Online High Schools In South Africa
Before making the decision to enroll in an online high school, it’s important to know whether a learner is suited to the online school environment as they will be expected to be self-disciplined and won’t be able to get any face-to-face interaction with teachers and tutors.
Thus, their learning style must be taken into consideration when choosing a school.
Here’s a list of the online high schools in South Africa:
Brainline Online High School
Brainline is considered one of South Africa’s most prominent online high school education providers. It has been offering online learning for over 30 years and officially became a fully online school in 2017. The school offers grade R – 12 in the CAPS curriculum, making use of live classes, webinars and recorded lessons that learners can access again on their profiles. Their exams are assessed by the IEB and you receive progress reports of your child after every assessment period.
Last year, Brainline introduced the Brainline Cloud School where learners receive daily online classes presented by qualified teachers in new and exciting ways. The lessons are also recorded and made available online. The Cloud School even has a mentorship programme for learners identified at risk of failing.
Brainline’s fees range from R16,000 per year for grade 7 – 9 to R29,950 per year for grade 12, excluding textbooks. Applications for 2022 enrollment are still open.
CambriLearn Online High School
CambriLearn offers the International British and CAPS curriculums for grade 1 – 9 learners via weekly live online classroom sessions. Lessons are recorded and saved in the live lessons library for learners to access whenever they feel fit.
Learners have the freedom to learn at their own pace. They also have direct access to teachers and supplementary study material if they’re struggling with certain parts of the curriculum.
The online high school also has a Student Tracker that gives you the ability to see whether your child is up to date with their schoolwork and exam ready.
CambriLearn is accredited with Cognia, one of the world’s largest accreditation systems for educational institutions, and its fees range from R10,000 to R60,000 per year.
Clonard Education Online High School
Clonard Education has over 20 years of online high school education experience. It has highly qualified and experienced South African teachers and assessors, who teach grade R – 12 learners the CAPS curriculum. These lessons take place through online classes and hardcopy textbooks.
Learners at Clonard Education have a great deal of flexibility, receive one-on-one attention, and can rest assured that they’ll be secure in the safe and nurturing environment the online high school provides. They also have access to the Tutor Support Programme if they’re struggling to understand any of their coursework.
Clonard Education is registered with SACAI and its fees range anywhere between R3,500 to R22,000 per year.
Curro Online
Parents can rest assured that the only responsibility they’d have with Curro Online’s virtual learning programme is checking their child’s homework. The online high school provides live lessons with experienced teachers from grade 4 – 12 on MS Teams. The lessons are recorded so that learners can access it again if they’re doing homework or revising for future assessments. Learners have direct access to teachers if they have any questions around coursework.
All online lessons at Curo Online take place in small groups according to a structured timetable. Teachers track your child’s progress daily and provide you with regular feedback on whether they need any extra assistance.
Curro Online learners are taught the CAPS curriculum and write the IEB exams at the end of grade 12.
The online high school’s fee is R4,200 per month and includes all live lessons, supportive material, and required software licenses. If Curro Online sounds like the right fit for your child, then apply for enrolment.
Elsen Online Learning Centre
Elsen Academy and the Think Digital College joined forces to birth the Elsen Online Learning Centre. A great online high school option if your child has learning, emotional or social barriers that might prevent them from attending mainstream high schools.
Grade 4 – 12 learners are encouraged to be independent and accountable for their own studies, with teachers monitoring and facilitating instead of teaching. School hours are at 07:30 – 12:30 daily, with all lessons posted online in the form of videos and slides. You and your child will receive instant feedback once their online activities, tests, and exams have been marked. Learners also have direct contact with tutors until 15:30 every day.
The Elsen Online Learning Centre is registered with SACAI and teaches their learners the CAPS curriculum. Grade 12 learners write the NSC exams at the end of the year.
If you have enquiries on the Elsen Online Learning Centre’s annual fees, you can contact the school on 041 582 3289. The online high school also has a bursary fund for less fortunate learners.
Futures Academy
Futures Academy is an online high school in South Africa that offers flexible learning solutions to grade 7 – 12 learners. The school’s online classes allow learners to interactively engage with their teachers and classmates by raising their hands to share their ideas or present it to the class. These classes are recorded so that learners can use it with supplementary learning material to prepare for regular live seminars.
The school’s live seminars are hosted by expert teachers that enable your child to deepen their understanding of their coursework through critical discussions. They will also have regular assessments and assignments to complete using the online learning tools and materials at their disposal. Learners even have access to Teaching Assistants to help them with exam preparation.
Future Academy is registered with SACAI and the Western Cape Education Department, and its grade 12 learners will write the NSC exams at the end of the year.
To enquire about the online high school’s fees, you and your child can fill in this form on Future Academy’s website.
Hatfield Christian Online School
Hatfield Christian Online School (HCoS) is the online high school option of Hatfield Christian School in Pretoria (HCS). It was formed to help schools with insufficient learning resources and allows learners outside of Pretoria to join the HCS student community in a virtual space.
Grade 7 – 12 learners have access to expert teachers and a flexible learning culture through online classes, assessments and regular feedback on their progress that is available to parents.
HCS is registered with the IEB and their grade 12 learners are prepared to write the IEB exams at the end of the year.
You can contact the school on 012 361 1182 for queries on its monthly fees or access the frequently asked questions on its website for any questions you might still have.
Impaq Online High School
The Impaq online high school offers daily online classes to grade 7 – 11 learners in English and Afrikaans following the CAPS curriculum. These classes are facilitated by experienced teachers who act as mentors to their learners.
The online high school’s classes are:
- Capped at 30 learners per class
- Run from 07:30 – 14:30 daily, with regular breaks
- Provide chat forums where learners can interact and collaborate with their teachers and classmates
- Allow learners to stay in the same class for every subject throughout the year so that they can get to know each other better
- Your child also has access to a diverse range of qualified and experienced tutors to help them with any coursework they might be struggling with.
Impaq is accredited by SACAI and their grade 12 learners write the NSC exams at the end of the year.
The online high school’s fees range from R2,236 per month for grade 7 – 9 to R2,670 per month for grade 10 – 11. It includes all learning materials like textbooks, practical exam fees, and extra classes.
Praxis Online School
Praxis Online School offers grade 7 – 11 learners interactive online classes where they’re able to have group discussions with their classmates and live contact time with qualified teachers. Classes take place according to structured timetables and learner attendance is closely monitored.
The online high school teaches both an enhanced national curriculum where grade 12 learners write the IEB end-of-year exams, and the British International Curriculum. They’re registered with both the IEB and Pearson Edexcel.
Praxis Online School also has a Learning Management System (LSM) that is helpful to both learners and their parents. It helps in the following ways:
- Sends learners automatic alerts when they’ve missed a class
- Reminds learners when they have homework and assignments due
- Allows you as a parent to interact with your child’s teachers through the LSM’s conference systems
- Allows you to view your child’s progress
- Allows you to view your child’s grades and the feedback they received for their assessments
- You can even choose to enrol your child for the enhanced curriculum where learners are given tertiary level software training that can be incredibly beneficial for their future.
The monthly fee for Praxis Online School is R1,950 but may differ if you choose to enrol your child for the enhanced curriculum.
St Stithians Online High School
St Stithians Online High School is perfect if you’re looking to enrol your child in a school with an internationally accredited curriculum. They’ll receive daily live online classes from expert international curriculum teachers who engage with learners in discussion forums, provide regular feedback on assignments and assessments, and are always available during office hours for one-on-one or small group support sessions.
Your child will also have access to mentors and school counsellors who will support them in their academic and personal life and help them stay on track with their studies.
The Pearson Edexcel accredited online high school offers International GCSE, International AS Level and International A Level qualifications that are recognised by over 500 of the top universities in the world.
St Stithians Online High School fees range from R7,150 to R7,750 per month.
Teneo Online High School
Teneo aims to always make their online learning interactive, structured, and fun for their learners. Their course material is aligned with the CAPS curriculum and is offered to grade 4 – 12 learners in both English and Afrikaans.
The online high school offers live virtual classes hosted by teachers who are specialists in their subjects. It also has an array of online study material, a cutting-edge learning management system, and a tutoring platform available to all Teneo’s learners.
Teneo is registered with SACAI, which means your child will write the NSC exams at the end of grade 12. Their fees range from R25,600 to R35,000 per year and can be paid off annually, termly or in installments.
Think Digital College
Think Digital College’s mission is to promote learning, growth, and creativity by blending education with the latest technology. They offer the CAPS, Cambridge, and American GED curriculum to grade R – 12 and R – A learners across the world.
Classes at the online high school are entirely virtual and recorded, and they have a tutor portal that all learners have access to. You’ll also receive weekly reports of your child’s website activity, assignments, and assessments.
Think Digital College is registered with SACAI and prepares grade 12 learners to write the NSC exams at the end of the year. Their fees range from R4,303 to R14,632 per year.
UCT Online High School
UCT Online High School describes its syllabus as the most progressive ever taught in South Africa. They aim to prepare grade 8 – 12 learners to succeed at school, university, and life with their interactive videos, notes, immersive assessments and simulations.
In collaboration with Valenture Institute, UCT Online High School encourages personalised study plans that suit your child’s pace and study techniques. Teachers keep learners who have fallen behind on track through one-on-one or small group Ask Me Anything Sessions, which they’re able to spot by using data dashboards every day. The online high school’s Support Coaches are also quick to assist your child with their goal settings and work schedule by keeping an eye on their daily progress.
UCT Online High School is registered with SACAI and their course material is aligned with the CAPS curriculum. This means their grade 12 learners will write the NSC exams at the end of the year. Note that the school will only be phasing in grade 12’s from 2023.
Your child can enrol at UCT Online High School for only R2,095 a month.
Virtual Schools
Virtual Schools pride themselves in their “blended” schooling methods. Grade R – 12 learners have full access to online lessons from qualified teachers and tutors. They also have to use traditional textbooks and study guides as part of the learning process.
Lessons are all recorded and tutors are always available. This saves you from assisting in your child’s work, that – at times – you might not understand.
The South African online high school works according to a timeline, but the programme is set up in such a way that some learners can finish a year’s curriculum in six months. This is because online learning has less distractions than the physical classroom.
Visual Schools is fully aligned with the CAPS curriculum and is registered with SACAI. Grade 12 learners will write the NSC exams at the end of the year.
Fees for the online high school start at R500 per month.