Founded in 2001, Christel House South Africa is dedicated to preparing graduates and communities to achieve upward economic mobility. Offering no-fee education and support services to students from some of Cape Town’s most underserved communities, Christel House provides not only academic excellence but also a lifeline to a brighter future.
We opened our doors in 2002 at Bamford Avenue in Athlone, and as demand grew for our transformative education, we expanded to a second campus at Denver Road in Lansdowne a few years later. In 2009, our school moved to Ottery where we now serve approximately 1000 students from Grade RR to 12, along with 250+ post-Matric students, while positively impacting more than 3,000 parents and other community members.
We are proud to announce a major milestone in our expansion efforts, driven by the urgent need for educational equity in the Western Cape and beyond. Our proven model has consistently delivered outstanding results, and we are now poised to extend our impact to more communities in need.
Our first expansion project will be the launch of a new high school at our Ottery campus, set to open in 2026. It will address the critical shortage of high schools in the region, offering students from under-resourced neighbourhoods the opportunity to continue their education in a supportive, holistic environment. And this is just the beginning.
With a strategic vision to establish three new schools over the next five years, we are committed to ensuring that the Christel House model reaches more students in both existing and new geographies.
Achieving our ambitious expansion goals requires collaboration with like-minded partners. By joining us on this journey, you can help create lasting change for thousands of children and their communities.
For more information on how you can contribute or get involved, please contact Lara Black, Development & Partnerships Director, at 021 704 9407 or lblack@sa.christelhouse.org.
For eight consecutive years, Christel House South Africa has been designated as a Microsoft Showcase School. This prestigious recognition places us among a global elite of educational institutions that are reshaping the future of learning.
We are leading the charge in equipping students with future-ready skills—particularly in ICT, where over 60% of the world’s new jobs are expected to emerge by 2030. As a Microsoft Showcase School, we will continue to pioneer educational innovation, foster a growth mindset and thought leadership, sharing best practices and creating pathways to success for every student.
Christel House South Africa is proud to have been in the Top 10 shortlist for the 2024 World’s Best School Prizes in the category ‘Overcoming Adversity’. This prestigious recognition, awarded by T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express, and the Lemann Foundation, celebrates schools that are transforming lives and communities through innovative education.
“Trailblazing South African schools like Christel House South Africa, which have cultivated a strong culture and aren’t afraid to innovate, show the difference that can be made to so many lives,” said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, “Schools everywhere can now learn from their solutions, and it’s time governments do so as well.”
Launched in 2022, the Youth Bridge programme empowers unemployed youth aged 18 to 35 by helping them discover their potential and navigate the path to meaningful, sustainable employment. Built on Christel House South Africa’s proven 23-year track record, this programme leverages a unique character-based, career-focused model that addresses the multifaceted barriers to stable employment.
Youth Bridge takes participants on a pivotal six-month journey, beginning with six weeks of intensive contact sessions, followed by eighteen weeks of sustained support, mentoring and guidance. The programme’s core focuses include:
Building character, mapping personal journeys, and offering psychometric assessments and counselling to unlock self-awareness and purpose.
Providing experiential learning and vocational exposure, financial literacy, ICT skills, and service orientation to prepare participants for the demands of the modern workplace.
Equipping participants with job-seeking strategies, networking techniques, and connections to open doors to employment opportunities.
Training participants in customer interaction and workplace readiness, ensuring they enter the workforce with the skills to excel from day one.
By partnering with corporates, government agencies, and other organisations, Youth Bridge secures placements, internships, and industry-specific learning opportunities, leading to meaningful, wage-earning employment.
Youth Bridge has achieved a remarkable 71% success rate, a testament to the programme’s high-touch interaction and commitment to long-term success. This initiative operates in communities in Cape Town and Durban and seeks to extend its reach to the rest of South Africa. For more information, please email Babongile Moto at bmoto@sa.christelhouse.org.
Christel House is fortunate to be able to learn and adapt to build Simunye 2.0 in further pursuit of building social capital in our unequal world and participate meaningfully in reducing wealth inequality.
Given our experience gained from our first project (2020-2023), including the research from our Simunye Manual, the learnings from the Indaba, and several group conversations with Simunye “alumni”, Simunye 2.0 will look different over the next two years. Key in these changes is expanding the project’s reach from 5 to 12 schools throughout the Western Cape. Our new model focuses on deep connections in smaller groups, incorporating a multicultural relationship-building curriculum at each School Rotation, and helps students develop the tools to be confident in multicultural environments. Our partner schools are clustered to facilitate a more intimate connection in smaller groups. Please see our incredible partner schools below.
Node 1 – Christel House Junior School, Holy Cross RC Primary School, Nal’uxolo Primary School, and Pinelands North Primary School
Node 2 – Die Duine Primary School, Rondebosch Boys Preparatory School, and Rosmead Central Primary School
Node 3 – Bishops Diocesan College, Christel House High School, Livingstone High School, Sans Souci Girls’ School, and Zisukhanyo Secondary School
Years of research, collaboration, and insight culminated in the creation of the Simunye Manual: ‘Small Steps, Big Impact,’ a comprehensive guide designed to help educational institutions develop their own social capital projects. This powerful resource explores the complexities of wealth inequality in South Africa and highlights the successes and lessons learned from Simunye.
The Simunye (We Are One) Show is a podcast where researchers, artists, entrepreneurs, and community builders discuss their journey through the lens of social capital — the seen and unseen impact our connections have on our lives.
Social capital is the shared value that comes from our connections and relationships with each other. It’s the strength of community ties, which helps us work together and support one another. Through real stories and honest conversations with leaders in education, influential entrepreneurs, celebrities and celebrated researchers, The Simunye Show explores challenges, learnings, and seeks a path to the common ground that brings us together.
Listen now on Spotify and Apple Music or watch the full episodes on YouTube through the links below.
Christel House SA alumni are building careers across a wide range of industries and professions. Our graduates include a medical doctor, business professionals, designers, digital marketers, entrepreneurs and environmental specialists. Overall, 95% of our alumni are in education, training, employment or a combination of these.
Our support does not end at Matric. Christel House SA provides alumni with five years of post-Matric support, including career guidance, job placement support, career workshops, mentorship, tertiary education guidance and financial assistance where applicable. This helps our graduates successfully transition into further education and the world of work.
95% of Christel House SA alumni are in education, training, employment or a combination of these. Our long-term approach focuses not only on helping students complete school, but on preparing them to achieve upward economic mobility beyond the classroom.
Christel House SA takes a whole-child approach to education. In addition to high-quality academics, students receive daily nutrition, healthcare, psychosocial support, transport, character development and career guidance. Our students are supported from Grade RR through Grade 12, followed by five years of post-Matric support.
Yes. Christel House SA graduates come from under-resourced communities across the Cape Flats and have gone on to build successful careers, pursue tertiary education and create new opportunities for themselves and their families. You can discover some of their stories on our News & Stories and Impact pages.
Yes. Christel House SA is a 100% no-fee school for qualifying families. Our support includes education, daily meals and snacks, transport within designated catchment areas, school uniforms and stationery, healthcare, psychosocial support, character development and career guidance.
Christel House SA serves children from families experiencing severe economic hardship. Admissions consider household income as well as a range of social, household, educational and geographical factors. Families interested in applying should review our current admissions criteria and application information before submitting an application.
Christel House SA provides education from Grade RR through Grade 12. Our commitment extends beyond Matric, with graduates receiving a further five years of career and post-school support.
Christel House SA provides daily transport for students living within designated catchment areas across the Cape Flats. These include communities such as Hanover Park, Manenberg, Langa, Lotus River, Strandfontein, Pelican Park, Lansdowne, Parkwood, Athlone, Ottery, Freedom Park and parts of Mitchells Plain. Transport availability is subject to our admissions criteria and available bus capacity.
Yes. Our whole-child model recognises that children need more than academics to thrive. Students receive nutritious meals and snacks during the school day, access to healthcare services and psychosocial support from our dedicated team of professionals, including counsellors and social workers.
Christel House SA provides additional academic support to help students build strong foundations, particularly in Mathematics and Language. Our teachers, counsellors and social workers also work together to identify and address social or emotional challenges that may be affecting a child's ability to learn.
Career preparation forms an important part of the Christel House SA model. Students receive career guidance, mentoring, exposure to different industries and support with tertiary applications and career planning. After Matric, this continues for a further five years as graduates transition into further education, training and employment.
Places at Christel House SA are limited and demand is high. Applications are considered according to available spaces and our admissions criteria. We encourage families to continue applying to and accepting placements at other schools while awaiting the outcome of a Christel House SA application.
There are many ways for companies to partner with Christel House SA, from supporting a student's education or funding a specific programme to investing in our expansion, providing career exposure opportunities or contributing monetary or in-kind support. We work with partners to identify opportunities that align with their business, social-impact and ESG objectives.
Corporate partners can support different elements of our whole-child education model, including academics, nutrition, healthcare, transport, technology and career development. Companies can also support infrastructure and expansion projects, provide career exposure and mentorship, contribute in-kind resources or develop strategic partnerships with us.
We track outcomes across our students' educational journey and beyond, including attendance, retention, Matric results and post-school outcomes. Importantly, we continue tracking our graduates as they move into tertiary education, training and employment, allowing us to measure the longer-term impact of our model.
Yes. Companies can support specific areas of our work, including education, nutrition, healthcare, transport, technology, career development and expansion initiatives. Our Development & Partnerships team can help identify an opportunity that aligns with your organisation's priorities and desired impact.
Christel House SA's work contributes to a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities. Partnerships can therefore support measurable social impact while contributing towards broader ESG and sustainability objectives.
Yes. Corporate partners can create meaningful opportunities for their employees to share their professional knowledge and networks with our students and alumni. This can include career workshops, job shadowing, industry exposure, mentorship and other career-development activities.
Yes. Qualifying donations to Christel House SA are eligible for Section 18A tax certificates. As 100% of our beneficiaries are Black under the Codes of Good Practice, qualifying contributions may also support a company's B-BBEE objectives.
Yes. We work closely with corporate partners to develop collaborations that align with their values, objectives and areas of interest. These may include grant funding, programme sponsorships, career-development initiatives, cause-marketing campaigns, in-kind support or investment in our growth and expansion.
Yes. You can donate goods from Christel House SA's Wish List, use your social, community or workplace network to spread the word and mobilise support, or subscribe to updates and follow the school on social media to help raise awareness.
Yes. You're encouraged to fundraise or use your social, community or workplace network to spread the word about Christel House SA and mobilise support, alongside in-kind donations from the Wish List and nominating Christel House SA as a beneficiary partner.
Yes. Through Christel House SA's Youth Career Hub, professionals can connect with students and alumni via job shadowing or by taking part in career workshops and events.
