Gauteng Needs 200 More Schools as Overcrowding Crisis Deepens, Says MEC Chiloane

Only 18 schools are funded for 2025, but the province needs hundreds more to meet surging demand

Gauteng’s education system is reaching a tipping point. With classrooms bursting at the seams, Education MEC Matome Chiloane has sounded the alarm, the province urgently needs at least 200 new schools to accommodate its fast-growing learner population.

Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Chiloane laid bare the extent of the crisis, revealing that the R2.5 billion allocated by National Treasury for the 2025–2026 financial year will only fund the construction of 18 new schools.

“We are coming up with different strategies. Among those, I believe the public-private partnership (PPP) route will work quicker,” Chiloane said, confirming ongoing discussions with private investors to accelerate the school-building programme.

Overcrowding worsens as Gauteng population booms

Gauteng, South Africa’s economic hub and most populous province, is seeing an unprecedented influx of families, putting major pressure on already stretched educational infrastructure.

According to provincial estimates, 132 new schools are needed in township areas alone, with 88 more required in middle-income, high-density developments, that’s 220 schools needed now, not years from now.

The stats back up the urgency. Learner numbers in Gauteng have soared from 1.95 million in 2014 to over 2.28 million in 2023, a jump of more than 725,000 learners in under a decade. But only 28 schools were built over the same period.

That’s one school for every 12,000 learners added, an untenable ratio by any standard.

Chiloane’s Plan: Work with the private sector

The department is hoping corporate South Africa steps up to help close the gap. Chiloane confirmed talks with companies to build schools through PPPs, which would then be handed over to the government for use.

“The private sector comes on board, and we reach an agreement. We are tightening the process,” he said.

The plan echoes national sentiment. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, who took office in mid-2024, has repeatedly called for business partnerships to support a cash-strapped education system.

A national crisis, not just Gauteng’s

Across the country, the R32 billion classroom backlog and the need for 13,000 school toilets weigh heavily on the Department of Basic Education. Gwarube recently warned that over 8,200 schools are overcrowded, while 2,240 schools remain in poor or very poor condition.

Yet, according to the department, in the 2023–24 year, Gauteng only managed to build one school, the same as Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. KZN led with three.

“The sector is reeling from budget constraints,” Gwarube said. “Corporate partnerships are critical… but they must not come at the cost of children’s well-being or institutional integrity.”

She faced backlash earlier this year when McDonald’s-branded desks were delivered to no-fee schools as part of a solar-powered learning initiative. Civil society groups slammed the fast-food branding as “grossly irresponsible”.Funding alone won’t fix the system

Both Chiloane and Gwarube have made it clear: building more schools is not just a matter of bricks and mortar. It requires cooperation, political will, and smarter, more transparent spending.

Delays in construction, poor contractor performance, municipal red tape, natural disasters, and chronic underfunding have all been cited as reasons for South Africa’s school infrastructure failures.

With just four new schools planned per year up to 2029, Gauteng’s education department faces a daunting task.

Unless funding, planning and partnerships come together quickly, the learners of South Africa’s most important province may be left without the space or support they need to succeed.

Want to support Gauteng’s education needs?
Chiloane encourages private companies interested in school partnerships to contact the Gauteng Department of Education to explore opportunities.

{Source: Mail & Gaurdian}

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