The Gauteng Department of Education says it is grappling with severe school overcrowding as learner numbers have doubled over the past three decades, increasing from just over 1.4 million pupils in public schools in 1995 to 2.8 million this year.
This was revealed by Gauteng MEC of Education Lebogang Maile on Tuesday in Johannesburg, during a media briefing.
Maile admitted the situation is a major cause for concern.
“These challenges are exacerbated by the exponential growth in learner enrolment arising from migration and rapid urbanisation in Gauteng,” he said.
“In 1995, the province had 1,408,237 learners in its schools – a number that has increased to 2,835,168 as of 2026.”
Maile said this represents more than double the number recorded 30 years ago and is the highest growth rate across all provinces, with enrolment rising by an average of 2% a year, adding more than 50,000 learners annually.
“Today, we want to provide an overview of the state of learner enrolment in Gauteng as of 2026, looking at overcrowding in our schools, the state of infrastructure, and the interventions that have been put in place by the Gauteng Provincial Government to address the challenges,” he said.
He said there are 2,111 schools in Gauteng – 1,417 primary schools and 694 secondary schools – including 36 schools of specialisation.
Total enrolment in primary schools stands at 1,472,257, while secondary schools account for 943,089 learners.
“There are 579 over-subscribed primary schools, constituting 41% of all primary schools. Over-subscription in secondary schools stands at 442 schools, which constitutes 64% of the total,” Maile said.
He added that 1,021 of the 2,111 schools are operating above capacity, representing 48% of schools in the province.
“For primary schools, the net provincial capacity represents 54,723 learner spaces, while for secondary schools there is a shortfall of 88,088 spaces,” he said.
Maile said overcrowding exists alongside underutilised schools.
“A school not at full capacity means it has not yet reached its maximum allowable enrollment based on available resources, classroom space and staffing regulations. It indicates there is still physical room to accommodate more students,” he said.
A total of 252 of the 694 schools are not at capacity.
He said between 2025 and 2026, the number of under-capacity schools decreased by 153, while over-subscribed schools increased by 164.
Maile also outlined district-level pressures across Gauteng’s 15 education districts, including Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane regions.
In Ekurhuleni North, 84 of 163 schools (52%) are over capacity, while in Ekurhuleni South, 102 of 176 schools (58%) exceed capacity.
Johannesburg East has 74 of 125 schools (59%) operating above capacity, while Johannesburg South records the highest proportion at 68%, with 72 of 106 schools affected.
Johannesburg West, described as the top-performing district, has 47 of 127 schools (37%) over capacity.
Tshwane West also faces significant pressure, with 108 of 160 schools (68%) exceeding capacity.
Maile said the figures reflect a “sobering picture” of systemic overcrowding across the province.
“Nearly all districts are affected by this reality, indicating that the issue is widespread and systemic rather than confined to a handful of districts,” he said.
He said high enrolment demand is driven by migration, rapid urbanisation and the concentration of economic activity in Gauteng’s urban centres and townships.
“These densely populated areas experience high enrolment demand, reflecting Gauteng’s demographic profile as the province with the highest concentration of urban townships in South Africa,” he said.
Maile added that infrastructure delivery is failing to keep pace with demand.
“The rate of supply and successful delivery of education infrastructure is lagging behind demand,” he said.
He said the province faces a deficit of at least 200 new schools needed to stabilise the system.
Although Gauteng aims to build 10 new schools a year, many projects are delayed, increasing reliance on temporary classrooms.
He also pointed to budget constraints, vandalism, crime, dolomitic land challenges, and community disruptions as contributing factors.
Maile said the total budget for new and replacement schools over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) is R3.982 billion, allowing for about seven new schools per year, or 23 in total over the period.
Of this, R1.95 billion is allocated to new schools and R1.86 billion to replacements.
Maile said the province is accelerating delivery through partnerships with the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA), the Budget Facility for Infrastructure and the Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency.
He said 15 projects have been identified across the metros, with an additional project in the West Rand, alongside 18 greenfield projects across municipalities.
The province is also exploring public-private partnerships, a self-build classroom programme, and the acquisition of former missionary schools to reopen decommissioned facilities.
IOL News
Simon Majadibodu
iol.co.za
