28/10/2026
𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗭𝗧 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗭 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀
There are almost 25 000 public and private schools in SA, but having a home close to the “right” one remains one of the biggest factors influencing residential property purchases and relocations from one area to another, especially in Gauteng, where parents often really struggle to get their children placed at their schools of choice.
There are many reasons for this, but the primary one is the feeder area system that governs admissions to public schools and prioritises placements for learners who live within a certain radius of each school, says Stephen Whitcombe, MD of the FIRZT Property Group.
“The majority of parents cannot afford private schooling but obviously still want their children to get the best education possible and will often buy homes or move just to be in the feeder area of their preferred public school. In Gauteng this feeder area radius is officially 3,7km at present - but the reality is that most government schools are full at a radius of 1,8km, which means that learners need to live within that distance of their school of choice in order to secure a place.”
This obviously increases the demand for the homes closest to the most sought-after schools, he says, and ensures that they increasingly sell or rent at a considerable premium to others in the same area. “And this situation is being intensified, even around private schools, by the huge fuel price hikes that we have seen due to the conflict in the Middle East and the rising cost of living, because parents are trying everything to lower their transport costs, including the cost of driving children to and from their schools and extramural activities.
“A daily school run of 20 or 30km, for example, plus extramural activities, can add up to a significant monthly expense, not to mention the hours spent in traffic...
Click the link to read more: https://www.firzt.co.za/news/firzt-launches-schoolz-guide-app-to-help-parents-make-the-right-choices/