Private universities are becoming the aspirational choice, Advtech says, as the group reports record profits while pushing for formal university status.
“Standards in the public sector and increasing standards in the private sector mean that private universities are very quickly becoming the aspirational choice in the market,” said Geoff Whyte, CEO of Advtech.
He explained that aspiration in schools has historically sat in the private sector, while in tertiary education, public universities were seen as aspirational.
“That shift is happening, and it’s happening quite quickly,” Whyte said, noting that 66% of surveyed students across its Emeris brand named the school as their first choice.
He added that Advtech’s investments in teaching and learning systems, staff, facilities and new mega-campuses are driving this change in tertiary education aspiration.
“University recognition will ultimately benefit our students who will finally be afforded the same status as their peers who obtain identically accredited qualifications through public institutions,” said Whyte.
For the year ended December 2025, Advtech saw healthy enrolment growth, with total student numbers across the group rising 13%, or nearly 13,500 additional students.
Whyte said moderate fee increases, improved debtor control and higher margins helped the group deliver over R2bn in operating profit for the first time.
It’s a very unfair situation for our students not to be able to say that they have a university degree, and that’s what this whole process for us has been about.
— Geoff Whyte, CEO of Advtech
Additionally, revenue rose 10% to R9.33bn, operating margin improved to 21.8% and normalised earnings per share grew 17% to 236.1 c. The board declared a final gross dividend of 73c per share, bringing the full-year total to 118c, up from 101c in 2024.
According to Whyte, Advtech already operates as a university in all but name, with degrees accredited to the same standard as public universities. He called for regulations gazetted by the department of higher education and training in October last year allowing private institutions to gain formal university status to be finalised.
“This process has taken far too long,” Whyte said. “It’s a very unfair situation for our students not to be able to say that they have a university degree, and that’s what this whole process for us has been about.”
Advtech’s tertiary division saw revenue rise 13% to R3.85bn, with operating profit up 14% to R1.03bn and the operating margin improving to 26.8%, despite broad investment across the division, including the R420m Emeris Sandton campus and a planned Emeris Durban campus for 2027.
The group has also boosted research, added higher degrees and raised lecturer qualifications, with master’s-holding staff up 173% to nearly 1,400 and PhDs up 175% to about 250, making it ready to apply once regulations are published.
Whyte acknowledged that South African consumers are under economic pressure, particularly after global uncertainties caused by the conflict in Iran. He said education remains a high-priority purchase for parents, and the group is investing heavily in student experiences and academic outcomes while keeping fee increases below market levels.
Advtech’s Schools South Africa division saw revenue rise 10% to R3.44bn, with operating profit up 13% to R721m and the operating margin improving to 20.9%.
Meanwhile, the Schools Rest of Africa division grew revenue 28% to R574m, with operating profit up 33% to R194m and margins improving to 33.7%, driven by strong enrolment growth and acquisitions in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Whyte said the group is investing in facilities and expansions, including Regis Runda in Nairobi and the R39m Makini Statehouse campus, as it focuses on scaling mid-fee and premium schools in existing markets, with potential expansion into other selected African countries.
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