History of the School

The South African College Schools opened its doors to boys in 1829. The original concept of a College school in the Cape had arisen much earlier than that. In 1791, the Dutch Commissioner General de Mist set aside funds to improve local education. His successor, Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, approved the final plans and the inauguration ceremony of the South African College was celebrated at the Groote Kerk on the 1st of October, 1829.

Soon after that, classes began in the “Weeshuis” in Long Street, Cape Town. The College included junior classes all the way up to seniors doing Collegiate work.  A move to a building in the Gardens soon followed, but it wasn’t until 1874 that SACS acquired its own premises in Orange Street. Increased attendance led to swift expansion.

In 1903, the Junior school emerged as a separate entity to its sister institutions, SACS High and UCT. Finally, in 1912, all extensions and additions were complete. The classic Herbert Baker buildings, today used by the University of Cape Town, subsequently served as home to many generations of schoolboys.

The school’s ongoing academic and sporting success led to continued growth and after negotiations spanning nearly a decade, the South African College School moved for the last time, setting its roots down on the beautiful Montebello Estate in the leafy suburb of Newlands. Today, both Junior and High Schools enjoy sharing the beautiful estate as one campus set against the backdrop of Table Mountain.