Johannesburg – Private higher education provider Emeris has officially opened a new R420 million campus in Sandton, marking one of the largest private tertiary education investments in Gauteng.
The 47,000-square-metre campus, launched on 3 February, consolidates The Independent Institute of Education’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE Vega School Bordeaux into a single facility, now operating as Emeris and Vega School at Emeris Sandton.
Located in what is widely regarded as Africa’s richest square mile, the development signals growing private sector investment in higher education and skills development in South Africa.
Emeris, which operates under ADvTECH, said the new campus forms part of its broader national footprint, bringing its total to ten contact campuses and one online centre across major metropolitan areas. The institution reported that it educated about 30,000 students in 2025.
ADvTECH CEO Geoff Whyte described the project as a milestone for private higher education in the country.
Future of higher education
“The coming together of these brands marks a milestone not just for ADvTECH and Emeris and Vega School, but for the future of higher education in South Africa,” Whyte said.
The campus is designed to accommodate approximately 9,000 students during its first phase, with plans to expand capacity to more than 13,000 students in future. Facilities include an indoor sports centre, information technology laboratories, interactive classrooms, a virtual reality studio, podcast and green screen studios, a photographic laboratory and collaborative student workspaces.
Emeris said the campus will focus on student-centred learning, incorporating smaller class sizes, lecturers with industry experience, and artificial intelligence-enabled learning technologies. The institution also aims to strengthen career services through partnerships with employers.
Managing Director Louise Wiseman said higher education institutions must equip students with practical skills alongside academic knowledge to improve employability and adaptability in a rapidly changing job market.
Change and reinvention
“Education must do more than prepare students for a qualification; it must prepare them for ongoing change and reinvention,” Wiseman said.
Emeris qualifications are accredited in line with the same regulatory standards applied to public universities. The Department of Higher Education and Training is currently working towards formal recognition of qualifying private institutions as universities, a move that could reshape the private higher education sector.
The launch of the Sandton campus reflects continued growth in private tertiary education as institutions seek to expand access, modernise learning environments and respond to shifting industry demands.
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