“This Is How It’s Done”: Mzansi at Odds Over R3.2 Billion University Being Built in Pretoria

• The Solidarity Movement, AfriForum, and Kanton announced the construction of a massive new Afrikaans Akademia campus in Pretoria East
• The private development will accommodate 5,000 undergraduate and 1,500 postgraduate students across multiple residences
• South Africans are divided over the project, with some praising the corruption-free private investment while others questioning the focus on language-specific education

A Facebook page dedicated to South African updates has sparked major debate after sharing news about a massive new university campus being built in Pretoria.

The page @South African Podcast And Updates, which the poster describes as a platform to listen, laugh, learn, educate, understand and hear thoughts from other people, posted the announcement on 14 August 2025.

The post about the R3.2 billion Afrikaans Akademia campus has gone viral, receiving over 590 reactions and 180 comments as South Africans find themselves split over the ambitious project. Construction officially began on 11th August 2025, making it one of the largest private-sector investments in South Africa in recent years.

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However, the announcement has created deep divisions among South Africans, with supporters praising the private investment model while critics question the focus on language-specific higher education.

South Africans react with mixed feelings

@Nisha_Chandikapersad praised:

"🙏🙏♥️ This is how it's done corruption-free. Imagine, if this were the ANC, PA, EFF, MKP, monies gone like the wind, I said what I said. Haters can hate. Cry me a river..."

@Anthony_Lees questioned:

"In 30 years, have any other universities been built from scratch? Renaming existing ones doesn't count..."

@Richard_Goliath urged unity:

"Let's keep race out of it from all sides because it's toxic, and that's not what the next generation wants, it will eventually die with the current leaders. The future is bright!"

@Peyper_Mining congratulated:

"Well done!!"

@Tladi_lebelo celebrated:

"Congratulations 👏👏👏"

@Tshidiso_Danny_Nhlapo joked:

"We are coming to open a taxi rank and build squatter camps for students."

@Snr_Mshengu reflected:

"We voted for ANC and they looted many billions, so we can't complain."

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Massive SA university development planned

According to Akademia's web page, this campus initiative is the most significant development ever undertaken for Afrikaans language and cultural communities, marking a milestone in safeguarding the future of tertiary education in Afrikaans. Since its founding in 2012, the institution has been based in temporary facilities in Centurion, but the new campus will finally provide students with a permanent base.

The site is set to rise along Boschkop Road in East Pretoria, around eight kilometres from Solomon Mahlangu Drive. Funding for the project comes through a partnership between the Solidarity Movement, AfriForum, and property developer Kanton. The first phase, valued at about R1.8 billion, is scheduled for completion in January 2028, while the total investment is expected to surpass R3 billion once the development is finished.

Managing director Marthinus Visser described the initiative as the fulfilment of a long-held vision, made possible by a united community effort. The project forms part of the “Toekomsbouer” (future builder) campaign, which calls on community members to contribute to what is presented as a rare and vital opportunity for Afrikaans education.

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View the Facebook post here.

3 Other university-related stories

• Briefly News recently reported on South Africans being stunned when a student showed off his fancy residence dinner featuring Woolworths mussels, with many shocked to see such gourmet cooking.
• Students got hyped over their R5,000 NSFAS allowance for the second semester, with a viral TikTok video showing young people screaming and rushing to a field with phones in hand.
• A video of luxury cars at Stellenbosch University sparked conversations about campus wealth, with high-end vehicles cruising the streets and parked in university lots.

Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News