Nursery and preschool places at Johannesburg international schools run from roughly ZAR 60,000 to 140,000 a year, sitting well below the senior tuition figures published across the city.
Johannesburg fields the largest international school market in South Africa, and several of the senior names admit children from the early years upward. Fees are denominated in South African rand, and the international schools quote published tuition that most families top up by 5 to 10 per cent for transport, meals, books and trips. The American International School of Johannesburg is the only full International Baccalaureate continuum school in Gauteng and runs early years on its Sandton campus, alongside the German, French and British schools that each start from pre primary.
The bands below are indicative early years figures anchored to the published senior tuition on the Johannesburg schools hub, and the early years sit below primary and well below secondary and sixth form. Confirm the exact pre primary schedule with each school, as early years fees are published separately from the senior figures. Start from the city hub to shortlist by curriculum and suburb.
| Tier | Annual fee (ZAR) | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | ZAR 110,000 to 140,000 | American International School of Johannesburg early years, Deutsche Internationale Schule kindergarten |
| Upper mid | ZAR 85,000 to 110,000 | Reddam House Bedfordview, British International College early years, Lycee Jules Verne maternelle |
| Mid | ZAR 60,000 to 85,000 | Crawford International North and other pre primary settings |
School names illustrate each band and are indicative rather than exact quotes for your child year. Confirm current fees directly with each school before you budget.
Tuition is only part of the early years bill. The line items below are indicative bands drawn from the published Johannesburg school schedules and should be confirmed with each school, as capital fees and top ups vary widely.
| Cost | Indicative band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Capital or registration fee | ZAR 15,000 to 45,000 one off | A one off levy on joining, from ZAR 15,000 at Lycee Jules Verne to about ZAR 45,000 at AISJ. |
| Transport, lunch and books | 5 to 10 per cent of tuition | Most Johannesburg schools add this range on top of published tuition for the school run, meals, books and trips. |
| School bus | ZAR 12,000 to 30,000 a year | Distance based, and a real line for families outside the Sandton and northern suburbs cluster. |
| Exam entries and devices | ZAR 6,000 to 20,000 a year | IB, IEB, Abitur or A Level entries in exam years, plus tablet or laptop programmes in senior years. |
Bands above are indicative ranges, not a single school quote. Always confirm current figures in a school fee schedule before budgeting.
Curriculum and campus are the first lever. The International Baccalaureate continuum at the American International School and the German and French schools run well resourced early years staffed by qualified teachers, which sits at the top of the range, while newer or smaller pre primary settings come in lower. The premium broadly tracks the depth of provision and the pathway into the senior school.
Location drives the rest. The Sandton and northern suburbs cluster carries the higher fees and the housing that goes with proximity, and the AISJ Sandton campus serves the bulk of expat families. A pre primary place at one of these schools also functions as an early foothold for later entry into a full continuum.
Tuition is the headline, but the acceptance fee, transport and extras add up. Use our comparison tool to line up Johannesburg fees against the city your offer is in.
Open the fee comparison toolThe capital fee catches families out first. Most Johannesburg international schools apply a one off capital or registration levy on joining, from about ZAR 15,000 at Lycee Jules Verne to around ZAR 45,000 at AISJ, separate from tuition and due before the first term, so the starting year always costs more than the annual headline.
Transport and the standard top up are the recurring costs most underestimate. Most schools add 5 to 10 per cent on published tuition for the school run, meals, books and trips, and families outside the northern suburbs budget a real figure for the school bus. Clubs and holiday cover add further to the early years year.
For the stages that follow, read our primary fees and secondary and sixth form fees pages, or return to the Johannesburg schools hub. To weigh Johannesburg against another city, the international school fee calculator totals tuition plus living costs.
Nursery and preschool places at Johannesburg international schools run from roughly ZAR 60,000 to 140,000 a year. The International Baccalaureate, German and French schools sit at the top, while newer pre primary settings sit lower.
Several international schools run pre primary departments, including the American International School of Johannesburg on its Sandton campus, the Deutsche Internationale Schule, Lycee Jules Verne and Reddam House Bedfordview.
Yes. Johannesburg schools set and bill fees in South African rand, so the figures here are published rates rather than a conversion, and families paid in another currency should budget for exchange rate movement across the year.
Expect a one off capital or registration fee on joining, plus the standard 5 to 10 per cent top up for transport, meals, books and trips, and a school bus charge for families outside the northern suburbs.
Yes. Early years fees sit below the primary and senior figures at the same schools. Our banding anchors to the published senior tuition, but you should confirm the exact pre primary schedule with each school.
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