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Gauteng cracks down on illegal schools as 61 institutions are investigated, 32 schools served with closure letters
The Gauteng Department of Education has intensified its crackdown on illegally operating independent schools, with 61 institutions investigated between January and September 2026 and 32 served with closure letters.
The investigation comes as the province’s independent-school sector continues to expand, with the department warning parents to verify that a school is properly registered before enrolling their children or paying fees.
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile said the investigations followed information received from parents, community members and other government institutions.
Officials visited the schools to establish whether they were properly registered and had the documentation required to operate.
“Where an institution is found to be operating unlawfully, it is instructed to cease operating and the relevant closure process is followed,” Maile said.
Seven of the schools investigated this year have since stopped operating, while four have applied for registration. Two school directors were also arrested as part of the enforcement action.
What makes a school illegal?
The department’s intervention is aimed at schools that operate without the required registration and therefore fall outside the province’s formal regulatory system.
Registration allows the education authorities to establish whether an independent school meets the requirements to operate and provide education legally.
The issue is particularly important because parents may pay fees and send their children to institutions without realising that the school is not legally registered.
The department has therefore urged parents to check a school’s registration status before committing financially.
The latest crackdown follows a similar operation in 2025, when officials visited 57 schools suspected of operating illegally and issued 31 closure letters.
Children still need somewhere to learn
The closure of an illegal school creates another challenge for the department – making sure learners are not left without access to education.
Maile said closing an institution is not considered the end of the department’s responsibility.
“The department does not regard the closure of an illegal school as the end of the matter because the learners still require education,” he said.
District officials are expected to work with parents to place affected learners in legally operating schools.
This is particularly important where children have already spent part of the academic year at an institution that is subsequently shut down.
Thousands of complaints involving independent schools
The crackdown comes amid a much broader set of complaints involving independent schools in Gauteng.
The department recorded 3,688 cases relating to independent schools between 2024 and 6 August 2026.
These included 550 registration-related cases and 518 complaints involving outstanding fees linked to suspension or expulsion.
A further 422 cases involved schools allegedly withholding transfer certificates or learner reports because of outstanding fees.
The department also recorded 458 cases concerning discipline and bullying, 345 relating to admissions or refusal to re-enrol learners, and 312 involving curriculum and assessment issues.
The department has made it clear that contractual or fee disputes do not give schools unlimited power over learners.
According to the department, independent schools may not suspend or expel learners during the academic year, or withhold progress reports, because of contractual disputes between parents and schools.
Gauteng has more than 1,000 registered independent schools
The crackdown should not be confused with the wider independent-school sector, most of which operates legally.
Gauteng currently has 1,083 registered independent schools, up from 961 in 2021.
The sector serves about 379,727 learners and employs nearly 25,000 teachers. Johannesburg has the largest concentration, with 557 independent schools serving about 197,687 learners, followed by Ekurhuleni with 233 schools.
Of the 1,083 registered independent schools, 279 receive government subsidies, while 804 do not.
Maile stressed that receiving a subsidy does not make an independent school a government institution.
“A subsidy does not mean that the government owns the school,” he said.
R1.13 billion for qualifying independent schools
While the department is shutting down schools that operate outside the law, it is also preparing to provide about R1.13 billion in subsidies to qualifying independent schools during the 2026/27 financial year.
Approximately R621 million is earmarked for the primary phase and R508 million for secondary education.
The department said it had allocated about R4.3 billion in transfers and subsidies to qualifying independent schools between the 2022/23 and 2025/26 financial years.
Schools receiving public funding are required to account for how the money is used. The department monitors areas including financial planning, budgets, annual financial statements, banking and cash controls, payroll and assets.
Independent schools under closer scrutiny
The department’s increased scrutiny comes as Gauteng deals with pressure across its education system.
More than 2.4 million learners are enrolled in the province’s public schools, compared with about 379,727 in independent schools.
The independent sector therefore forms a significant part of the province’s overall education landscape, but Maile said its growth does not remove government’s responsibility to strengthen public education.
The department also reported that independent schools recorded a 94.82% matric pass rate in 2025, compared with 89.06% for Gauteng’s public schools. Maile cautioned against assuming that private education automatically produces better results, pointing to factors such as leadership, discipline and a strong focus on learning.
For parents, however, the immediate message from the department is straightforward – before paying fees or enrolling a child, they should establish whether the school is properly registered.
The latest figures show that registration is not simply an administrative issue. For schools found to be operating unlawfully, it can ultimately mean being ordered to close, while leaving education officials and parents with the task of finding affected learners another place to study.
Economy
Kaya 959 turns up the heat as Chefs & Chenin talent cooks live on air
Kaya 959 is bringing the flavours of the inaugural Chefs & Chenin Festival to its listeners, with some of the chefs taking over the station for a live cooking experience ahead of the two-day culinary celebration.
Chef Mahalia Jackson, Jacques Venter, Chef Tebogo Morgan and Saviour Moyo will be showcasing their culinary skills on air, giving listeners a taste of what they can expect when Chefs & Chenin takes place at Crawford International Sandton College on 26 and 27 September 2026.
The festival is presented in partnership with Kaya 959 and celebrates two distinctly South African passions – cooking over fire and Chenin Blanc.
Bringing the festival to Kaya 959
The live cooking sessions give Kaya 959 listeners an opportunity to get closer to the chefs and the food that will form part of the festival experience.
Rather than simply talking about what is coming, the chefs are putting their skills on display in the Kaya 959 studio, building anticipation for a weekend where food will be cooked over open flames and paired with South Africa’s much-loved Chenin Blanc.
The festival is designed as a celebration of food, wine, music and local creativity, with a Harvest Market, live entertainment, kids’ activities and an art exhibition also forming part of the programme.
Meet the chefs
Chef Mahalia Jackson brings more than three decades of experience in the culinary industry to the line-up. She is an executive chef, entrepreneur and published author, and has been the managing director of Added Touch Catering & Events since 2005.
Her career has included major corporate events and high-profile gatherings, with Jackson also having served guests including former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki and international diplomats. She is also the author of Dare to Dream, a recipe book and memoir which won an African Authors Award in the Food Category.
Jacques Venter has built a career across different parts of Johannesburg’s culinary scene. According to his Chefs & Chenin profile, he began his career in 2003 as a commis chef at The Castle Kyalami before progressing to sous chef.
His experience has included fine dining at Roots restaurant at Forum Homini, work at Coco C in Bloemfontein and a stint at the Radisson Blu Sandton, where he worked his way up to executive sous chef. Since 2019, he has been part of the Pick n Pay group as a food specialist at Pick n Pay on Nicol and Thyme restaurant.
Chef Tebogo Morgan, the chef behind CRAVINGS, Gourmet Rainbow Cuisine, brings a fusion approach to the festival. Born in Mthatha and raised in Johannesburg, Morgan trained through the International Chef Management Diploma at Capsicum Culinary Studio in Cape Town.
His culinary style, which he describes as “Fire & Fusion”, brings together Asian and Mediterranean influences with open-fire cooking.
Saviour Moyo, who is also associated with Saint Restaurant Sandton, rounds out the group of chefs appearing as part of the Kaya 959 activation.
More than just food
Chefs & Chenin is being positioned as an experience rather than a conventional food festival.
General access tickets include a tasting meal at a pop-up restaurant of the guest’s choice, where chefs will showcase their food through live-fire cooking. There will also be curated Chenin Blanc tastings, alongside the Harvest Market, live music and entertainment for children.
The festival’s focus on open-fire cooking also taps into a familiar South African food tradition, while the Chenin Blanc element highlights one of the country’s most important wine varieties.
With Kaya 959 providing the radio platform and the chefs bringing the food to life on air, the build-up is giving audiences a preview of what awaits at Crawford International Sandton College.
Chefs & Chenin takes place on 26 and 27 September 2026. Tickets are available through Webtickets.
