The Afrikaans university Akademia, has acquired a significant land parcel in the Boschenmeer area of Paarl, marking a major step towards establishing a permanent campus for Afrikaans higher education in the Western Cape.
The institution announced this week that it has purchased 105 hectares of land known as Vêrgesig, which will be developed by real estate investment company Kanton. The same development partner is currently managing the construction of Akademia’s Pretoria campus.
The land acquisition was made possible through substantial community contributions from supporters in the Western Cape. Akademia expressed gratitude for the backing, which the institution said confirms that sustainable Afrikaans higher education is a collective endeavour.
Akademia currently operates an interim campus at 1 Breda Street, Esterville, where full-time students began their studies this year. The Vêrgesig purchase represents the next phase of the institution’s expansion in the region.
Marthinus Visser, managing director of Akademia, said the land acquisition advances the institution’s growth trajectory and represents an important development in the Afrikaans university system.
“With this step, Akademia confirms its intention to establish a permanent academic home in the Western Cape, in service of students, the language and cultural communities and mother-tongue education,” said Visser.
According to current planning, the future campus will accommodate approximately 3 000 students, with growth managed in phases. The development will include all necessary facilities for a residential campus, including student residences, at the foot of the Wemmershoek Mountains.
The Vêrgesig site features topography suited to integrated campus development. A waterway flowing into the Berg River will support future water requirements. On clear days, the site offers views extending to Table Mountain and the Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument.
Prof. Gawie du Toit, head of the Paarl Campus, said the site presents a significant opportunity for the institution.
“I see in my mind’s eye how a future campus here, against the backdrop of the mountains, can and will make a meaningful contribution to the strengthening and promotion of Afrikaans as a language of science and as a medium of teaching, learning and scholarship,” said Du Toit.
The project is currently in early planning stages. Kanton is engaged in urban planning processes to obtain necessary development rights, while preliminary planning continues. The timeline for development will be determined by Akademia’s successful establishment and expansion in Paarl.
Henk Schalekamp, managing director of Kanton, described the process leading to the land purchase as meaningful.
“The goodwill of the Afrikaans community in the Western Cape deeply affected everyone involved. This project bears witness from the outset to what is possible when communities build a shared future together,” said Schalekamp.
The institution’s Western Cape presence follows community requests for Akademia to establish a full-time campus in the region.
Akademia’s world-class Pretoria campus, scheduled to open in 2028, will serve as an indication of the vision planned for Paarl. The Pretoria development will accommodate undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Further information about Akademia’s campus developments is available on the institution’s website.
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