Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg

The Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg (DSJ) is a cosmopolitan, German-South African co-educational private school in Parktown, Johannesburg. Founded in 1890, it is the oldest private co-educational school in Johannesburg and – supported by the German Federal government – is recognised as one of the best German schools outside Germany, named “Best German School outside Germany” in 2016 and an “Excellent German School Abroad” in 2018. It educates around 1,000 learners, representing more than 35 nationalities, from age 1 through to Grade 12.

DSJ is an integrated, bilingual “school of encounter” that blends German educational excellence with South African Ubuntu values. It offers both German and South African pathways: from Grade 10, learners choose between the German-South African Kombi-Abitur and the South African IEB National Senior Certificate (paired with the German Language Diploma, DSD). Non-German speakers can join at kindergarten, in Grade 5 (the Integrated Secondary stream), or in Grade 8 via the English Medium High School, learning German as a foreign language; German is a compulsory subject across the school.

The school is proudly diverse and socially engaged – since 1989 it has admitted 25 children from disadvantaged backgrounds into Grade 5 each year on a 95% tuition reduction. As an open full-day school, it also offers extensive extramural activities and aftercare.

The lush Parktown campus offers modern classrooms, computer and science laboratories, a Learning Centre, a large dining hall, a support centre with a social worker, psychologist and inclusion consultant, a sports hall, courts and a swimming pool, plus a free 11-route bus service. Recent fees range from roughly R87,000 (Nursery) to R111,000 (Grades 10 to 12); full details are available from the school.