"We Need": SA Private School APEX Education Offers Learning for R650 a Month, Mzansi Reacts

• APEX Education, a non-profit private school in South Africa, opened its first campus in 2024 with a blended learning model
• The school charges just R620 a month for 2025, rising to R650 in 2026, undercutting most government and private schools
• A TikTok video spotlighting the school went viral, with thousands of South Africans asking where they can enrol their children

A private school offering quality education for under R700 a month has taken South Africa by surprise. APEX Education, a non-profit organisation, opened its first campus, APEX Talent, in 2024, and a TikTok video explaining how it works has set social media alight.

The school runs on a blended learning model, combining digital lessons with in-person teaching. Fees for 2025 sat at R7,440 a year, which works out to R620 a month. In 2026, that figure will rise only slightly, to R650 a month. By comparison, many government schools charge more in annual fees, let alone private institutions.

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How the blended learning model works

Each class accommodates roughly 100 learners, supported by one teacher and two assistants. Students use affordable Chromebooks to work through video lessons, notes, and quizzes at their own pace. APEX Education's website describes the organisation's mission as providing quality education to South African children regardless of their socio-economic background.

The school launched in 2024 with Grade 8 learners and plans to add one grade each year until it reaches matric level by 2028. Early results have been encouraging: the school reports 98% attendance, no stolen devices, and learner performance in maths and English that surpasses nearby government schools.

South Africans want to know more

A TikToker, @ejv_27, filmed a selfie-style explainer on the school's campus, sharing what the model looked like from the inside. The clip quickly picked up traction, drawing hundreds of comments from parents and young people across the country wanting to know where they could access the school.

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View the TikTok video below:

Mzansi reacts to APEX Education

South Africans flooded the comments with questions and requests:

@Tryphang asked:

"Where in Johannesburg??"

@zinzi wrote:

"We need the school in PTA please 🥺"

@Anela asked:

"Where is the school"

@wild_spirit asked:

"Is it a boarding school"

@Magdi raised a broader concern:

"Why are people having to pay for 'better' basic education? Yet NSFAS for tertiary."

More Briefly News stories on schools

• Knysna Secondary School mourns Grade 9 learner Rowena Simmers, 15, who died after battling AML, as former teachers, classmates and loved ones share tributes.
• Dr Siyabonga Khoza visited 50 schools across SA in 2026, reaching more than 10,000 learners with a message of hope and inspiration from under-resourced communities.
• An Australian mother in South Africa compares school schedules, barefoot pupils and sports culture; parents praise local schools’ focus on respect and good manners.

Source: Briefly News