R3.2 Billion Afrikaans-Only University Campus Breaks Ground Near Pretoria
PRETORIA — 11 August 2025
A new Afrikaans-only university campus is under construction outside Pretoria, backed by a R3.2 billion investment from the Solidarity movement and Kanton Realtors.
The campus will form part of the Akademia university group. It is one of South Africa’s largest private-sector investments in a decade, according to Daily Investor.
Akademia has grown since starting as a distance-learning institution in 2012. Solidarity expanded it to physical study centres nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Groundbreaking occurred on 11 August 2025 under Solidarity’s Toekomsbouer initiative. The Pretoria campus will welcome first-year students in 2028.
The facility will accommodate 5,000 undergraduates and 1,500 postgraduates. Four residences will house 1,500 students. Sports facilities include rugby, cricket, and swimming amenities, alongside restaurants and cafés.
Managing director Marthinus Visser stated: “This ambitious expansion will allow the institution to consolidate its student growth over the past decade.” Current Afrikaans-language courses include:
- BCom in economics and law.
- BCom in business and financial management.
- BEd in intermediary education.
- LLB.
- BSc in mathematical sciences.
- BSc in Computer Science BA in communications and journalism.
- BSocSci in politics.
A similar Afrikaans-only campus is planned for the Western Cape in 2026. It will operate between the northern suburbs, Stellenbosch, and Paarl. Existing part-time study centres operate in George, Paarl, and Somerset West.