In 2004, the South African College School (the oldest school in South Africa and popularly known as SACS), proudly celebrated 175 years of commitment to educational excellence.

 

But the original concept of a College school in the Cape had arisen much earlier than that. In 1791, the Dutch Commissioner General de Mist set aside funds to improve local education. His successor, Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, approved the final plans and the inauguration ceremony of the South African College was celebrated at the Groote Kerk on the 1st of October, 1829. Soon after that, classes began in the “Weeshuis” in Long Street, Cape Town. The College included junior classes all the way up to seniors doing Collegiate work.
 
 
 
 
A move to a building in the Gardens soon followed, but it wasn’t until 1874 that SACS acquired its own premises in Orange Street. Increased attendance led to swift expansion until finally, in 1912, all extensions and additions were complete. The classic Herbert Baker buildings, today used by the University of Cape Town, subsequently served as home to many generations of schoolboys
 

The school’s ongoing academic and sporting success led to continued growth and after negotiations spanning nearly a decade, the South African College School moved for the last time, setting its roots down on the beautiful Montebello Estate in the leafy suburb of Newlands. Once more, SACS is situated in the closest proximity to its sister institution, the University of Cape Town.