ADvTECH opens its Emeris Sandton mega-campus with 9,000 students

JSE-listed private education group ADvTECH has opened a new mega-campus in Sandton that will house all its tertiary institutions and 9,000 students.

Emeris Sandton, a R420m, 47,000m² campus and one of the largest private investments in tertiary education in Gauteng, officially opened last Wednesday.

The campus consolidates the Independent Institute of Education’s Varsity College Sandton and Vega School Bordeaux under one roof.

“By consolidating these institutions under one brand, ADvTECH offers students an enhanced educational experience, fosters collaboration, and drives innovation,” said ADvTECH CEO Geoff Whyte.

“This amplifies our commitment to delivering diverse, high-quality educational pathways, tailored to meet market demands.”

Whyte said students will benefit from:

• smaller classes;
• industry-active lecturers;
• AI-enabled learning technologies;
• robust student support systems; and
• enhanced career services.

He added that the institution’s sector-leading graduate employment outcomes and on-time degree completion rates position it among the strongest private education performers in South Africa.

South Africa’s future leaders need more than academic excellence to thrive.

—  Louise Wiseman, MD of Emeris

The campus features:

• an indoor sports centre;
• IT laboratories;
• interactive classrooms;
• a VR studio;
• a podcast studio;
• a green screen room;
• a photo lab; and
• student collaboration spaces.

There are plans to expand student capacity in the coming years.

“South Africa’s future leaders need more than academic excellence to thrive,” said Louise Wiseman, MD of Emeris. “Practical skills, personalised support and social investment are just as key. Education must do more than prepare students for a qualification; it must prepare them for the inevitability of change and repeated reinvention.”

Emeris qualifications meet the same standards as South Africa’s public universities.

Private institutions now make up about 22% of the country’s tertiary education market and the department of higher education & training is in the process of recognising qualifying private institutions as universities.

Wiseman said Emeris aims to play a leading role in shaping the future of private higher education in South Africa, “and we look forward to seeing the leaders, creators and problem-solvers who will emerge from Emeris Sandton”.

The brand operates 10 contact campuses and one online centre across South Africa’s major metropolitan areas. It had about 30,000 students in 2025.

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