If everything goes according to plan, Akademia’s geographical expansion to the Western Cape in February 2026 will reach a peak when the institution opens its doors for the academic year to a brand-new Paarl Campus. This is what Marthinus Visser, managing director of Akademia, said during an event for principals in the Western Cape that was presented on Tuesday 11 February 2025. This follows the institution’s announcement in April 2024 about its intention to expand its geographical footprint to this region. https://akademia.ac.za/https://akademia.ac.za/wes-kaap-aankondiging-2024/

Visser, accompanied by a delegation of staff from Akademia and the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools (SOS) extended a hand of acquaintance and cooperation to the local Afrikaans teaching community during this event in the Paarl. The event also aimed, in the case of Akademia, to lift the veil on the progress that was already made regarding the establishment of the institution’s new Paarl Campus. This satellite campus crowns the institution’s current favourable growth trajectory and excitedly paves the way for the realisation of yet another Akademia dream, namely the development of a world-class campus in Pretoria by 2028.https://beweging.co.za/sos/https://www.toekomsbouer.co.za/

Visser announced proudly that the new interim Paarl Campus will be in the heart of Esterville, and that the institution’s new address in the Western Cape will be announced later. The establishment of this satellite campus builds on the institution’s already existing network of centres in, amongst others, George, the Paarl and Somerset West where Fonties* study via the after-hours distance model. The campus will give shape to Akademia’s full-time campus model, as is the case in Centurion and will be a study home for about 340 first-year students in its establishment year. The latter will not only give students access to the institution’s five dynamic faculties, but also to the vibrant and unique student life. Prof. Gawie du Toit, that is currently the dean of the Faculty of Education at Akademia, will be the head of this new campus. Du Toit has been actively involved in the South African Higher Education sector for 35 years as a researcher, head of department, curriculum developer, programme director and senior manager.https://akademia.ac.za/sentrums/https://akademia.ac.za/nauurse-afstandmodel/https://akademia.ac.za/voltydse-kampusmodel/

The following programmes will be presented at this campus with the commencement of the 2026 academic year:

• Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences

BCom (Economics and Law), BCom (Financial and Management Accounting), BCom (Business Management)https://akademia.ac.za/bcom-finansiele-en-bestuursrekeningkunde/https://akademia.ac.za/bcom-graad-in-ondernemingsbestuur/

• Faculty of Humanities

BA (Communication and Journalism), BSocSci (Politics, Philosophy and Economics)https://akademia.ac.za/bsocsci-politiek-filosofie-en-ekonomie/

• Faculty of Natural Sciences

BSc (Computer Sciences)

• Faculty of Education

BEd (Foundation Phase Education), BEd (Intermediate Phase Education)https://akademia.ac.za/bed-intermediere-fase-onderwys/

• Faculty of Law

LLB

Online study applications for the 2026 academic year will open on 1 April of this year. Note that all programmes are offered in Afrikaans.

According to Visser students will be able to fully participate in an active student life during their studies and develop their talents in such a way that they will we able to live a vocation-driven life to the benefit of the community. “Student life at Akademia aims to create a home where students’ can develop their minds and hearts in an integrated way, and we are committed to investing, as is already the case at our campuses, in the development of well-formed students in the Western Cape as well,” he says. The student life will take shape by way of a chosen student council (SC), day houses and a variety of activities such as sport, culture, community projects and well establish social and student support structures.  

Regarding the establishment of the facility, Visser explains that the plan is for it to be done by the end of August this year. The following facilities are being set up: thirteen lecture halls, a cafeteria, a media centre, an Akademia brand hub (Die Winkel), collaboration spaces, a function room, as well as secure parking. This facility will officially be announced later this year. In the meantime, a packed Western Cape events calendar is anticipated, including, among other things, campus open day, school visits, a top achievers’ event (Elite-Fontie), subject selection evenings and Akademia’s participation at the Paarl choir festival in celebration of the centenary celebration of Afrikaans later this year.  https://winkel.akademia.ac.za/

“As an institution, 2025 represents a big year, where we will be working hard to give shape to our dream and sense of calling, namely, to be of service to the language and cultural communities as a Christian, classical and independent higher education institution,” says Visser. Hy adds that the institution already accomplished a lot since the first classes started thirteen years ago with only 42 students in four programmes. “We really stand on the shoulders of the communities that we serve and look forward to the establishment in the Western Cape. It is our dream to be a preferred study home for more than 2 000 Fonties in the area by 2032, with a full-time staff complement of more than 100 skilled and experienced personnel. In the meantime, we purposefully take hands with the community to ensure the continuation of the Afrikaans university system,” Visser concludes.

*Fonties refers to students that study at Akademia. The proper noun is derived from the institution’s motto, Ad futurm per fontes – from the sources to the future.