A World of Learning
In an era marked by an educational focus on a single area of endeavour—academic, sporting, or cultural—Michaelhouse remains committed to its founder’s vision: to make not accountants, not clerks, not clergymen, but men; men of understanding, thought, and culture.
2024 was a memorable year with members of the school’s innovative Grade 9 Future Fit Programme taking the honours in the Economist’s global Leadership for Change competition, and our Class of 2024 achieving 100% bachelor pass rate being highlights of the academic calendar. Michaelhouse Boys continued to attract the attention of the best universities in South Africa and internationally with Luke Kaufmann, our Second Prefect of 2024, earning a place at the University of Cambridge to read History and Politics.
On the playing fields, Michaelhouse’s renowned culture of participation continued to ensure that more sports teams were fielded than most schools in the province with many athletes plying their skills at provincial and national levels. Old Boys Pierre and Jean van der Westhuyzen lead the charge with a haul of medals at the Paris Olympics.
An ethos of community service remains a cornerstone of the Michaelhouse education with many boys demonstrating sensitivity and activism in response to a raft of social plights. The Arts were in the spotlight on stages and arenas where our debaters, actors, and musicians wowed audiences across the country. To round off a spectacular year, Michaelhouse was named the only South African school to be included in London-based Spear’s Magazine “Top 100 Schools in the World” index.
Looking forward to the future, 2025 will mark the completion of the significant project of extending the school’s chapel. Mr Bart Wielenga who has accumulated a wealth of experience in school leadership and who currently holds the position of Head of Blundell’s school in the United Kingdom, will be returning to South Africa in June of 2026 to assume the mantle of Rector.
It has always been our belief that a boy’s time at senior school is as much about discovering his niche in life as having the freedom, opportunity, and encouragement to explore it and become the best that he can be, and Michaelhouse remains committed to providing world-class facilities and pastoral care to ensure these ideals of holism.