St John’s College in Johannesburg has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s leading boys’ schools, producing pupils who get accepted into top universities in South Africa and around the world, including Harvard University in the United States.

The school was founded in 1898 as a parish school of St Mary’s Anglican Church in downtown Johannesburg.

It opened its doors in a villa on Plein Street with just six boys enrolled. It grew quickly, and by the end of its first year, more than 100 pupils were attending the school.

A major turning point came in 1906 when Father James Okey Nash became headmaster.

He wanted to create a school similar to the great English public schools and oversaw the move to Houghton Ridge, made possible by a £5,000 donation from diamond magnate Sir Thomas Cullinan.

The Houghton campus remains central to St John’s identity today. The school buildings were designed by renowned architect Sir Herbert Baker, who drew up a master plan in 1907.

Along with his partner Frank Fleming, Baker designed most of the buildings constructed before 1946, which still define the campus.

Further expansion followed in the 1950s and 1960s under Deane Yates, the first headmaster who was not an ordained priest.

During this period, the school grew significantly and introduced Foundation Scholarships to give academically strong boys from less affluent backgrounds access to a St John’s education.

St John’s now educates boys from Grade 0 to Grade 12 across its pre-preparatory, preparatory and college structures.

It is widely known for strong performance in academics, sports and cultural activities. That reputation was reinforced by the Class of 2025’s Independent Examinations Board (IEB) results.

All 149 matric pupils achieved a university pass, and 146 qualified for a Bachelor’s Degree.

The group achieved a total of 558 distinctions, averaging 3.7 per pupil. Nearly all the pupils, 93%, earned at least one distinction.

One pupil achieved 11 distinctions, while three others earned 10 each. Subject choices also stood out, with pupils taking demanding subjects at far higher rates than the national IEB average.

Harvard acceptance

Mathematics was taken by 87.25% of the class, compared with 58.8% across the IEB, while 74.5% took Physical Sciences, almost double the IEB average.

Twelve pupils achieved overall averages above 90%. Ruhan Gosai and Siza Gule led the group with averages of 94%. Luca van Tonder achieved 11 distinctions, the highest number in the class, with an average of 93.8%.

Luke Brickhill scored 99% for Mathematics, contributing to 78 Mathematics distinctions overall, with 60% of pupils achieving an A symbol.

Average marks in core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences were all well above IEB benchmarks.

These results have translated into acceptance at one of the world’s most competitive universities.

Two members of the Class of 2025, Siza Gule and Menzi Bongwe, have already secured places at Harvard University through its Early Action Programme.

Gule, who achieved nine distinctions, plans to explore subjects such as law, politics, theatre, and literature. Bongwe, also with nine distinctions, intends to study economics.

They follow several other St John’s alumni who have been accepted to Harvard over the years.

Sazi Bongwe, head boy and dux scholar of the Class of 2021, matriculated with a 95.9% average and is currently studying English Literature and Philosophy at Harvard.

Earlier alumni include Nhlakanipho Mkhize, as well as scientist Siyabulela Xuza. Others linked to the school now form part of Harvard’s academic community.

This includes Dr Paul Firth, a South African-trained paediatric anaesthesiologist who is affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Harvard admission is extremely competitive. In recent years, the university’s acceptance rate has dropped to between 3.2% and 3.6%, meaning only about four out of every 100 applicants are admitted.

For the Class of 2029, more than 54,000 applications were submitted for around 2,000 places.

Its alumni and faculty include eight US presidents, dozens of foreign heads of state, 188 living billionaires (the most of any university), and over 100 Olympic medalists.

In 2026, Harvard continues to rank at or near the top of major global university rankings, such as the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. (Business Tech)