Development firm Kanton unveiled the design for Akademia’s new campus, a private Afrikaans university backed by Solidarity, located in Pretoria.

This R3 billion project is set to take shape on Boschkop Road in East Pretoria, about eight kilometres from Solomon Mahlangu Drive, according to BusinessTech.

The campus will support a comprehensive academic curriculum across all its departments, accommodating up to 5,000 full-time undergraduates and around 1,500 postgraduate students.

Planned facilities include office blocks, lecture halls, laboratories, an auditorium, specialized research areas, a dining hall, various eateries, coffee shops, a student centre, a library, and staff accommodations.

Student housing will feature four residences each for men and women, collectively providing approximately 1,500 beds.

Henk Schalekamp, Kanton’s managing director, announced that the initial phase of the project is budgeted at around R1.8 billion and is expected to be completed by 1 January 2028, encompassing all essential academic and operational services.

Construction on the first phase is set to commence in January 2026.

The second phase will complete the academic campus and residences, followed by sports facilities, a chapel, and an auditorium.

The developers highlight that the campus will feature “world-class” sports facilities for rugby, cricket, netball, tennis, athletics, hockey, swimming, and indoor sports.

An experimental farm is also part of its palns for the Faculties of Natural Sciences and Agriculture.

Kanton said that this project is a significant milestone in securing the sustainability of higher education in Afrikaans.

For years, there has been much anticipation around Akademia’s new campus development. However, Schalekamp mentioned that securing the necessary permissions from the appropriate authorities took about three and a half years.

Currently, Akademia operates from two smaller campuses and four residences in Centurion, considered temporary facilities until the new campus is completed.

The new campus development is seen as an opportunity to consolidate Akademia’s growth over the past decade and provide a stable and vibrant environment for student life.

Founded in 2011, Akademia was established in response to the transition of many public universities from Afrikaans to English-only instruction to enhance inclusivity. It has grown from offering three qualifications to providing 12 degrees along with various diplomas and higher certificates, all conducted in Afrikaans.