Basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube has revealed that 253,618 foreign pupils and 3,240 foreign teachers were enrolled in South Africa’s state school sector in 2025.
The data was released in a written parliamentary response to a question from IFP MP Liezl van der Merwe amid mounting concerns regarding the pressure placed on state schools to accommodate both local and foreign pupils.
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Organisations such as Operation Dudula and the March and March Movement have alleged that foreign pupils are being prioritised in school placements.
These claims have come to the fore as many South African parents find themselves struggling to find places for their children for the 2026 academic year.
According to the data, Gauteng had the highest number of foreign pupils at 128,054, followed by the Western Cape with 59,138.
The provincial breakdown:
• Limpopo: 16,566 foreign pupils and 151 foreign educators
• KwaZulu-Natal: 14,929 foreign pupils and 706 foreign educators
• North West: 10,928 foreign pupils and 192 foreign educators
• Mpumalanga: 8,716 foreign pupils and 728 foreign educators
• Eastern Cape: 8,394 foreign pupils and 289 foreign educators
• Free State: 5,157 foreign pupils and 27 foreign educators
• Northern Cape: 1,744 foreign pupils and 262 foreign educators
These figures were pulled from the Provincial Education Management Information System (EMIS) and verified by the respective provincial education departments.
Gwarube emphasised that every child living in the country, regardless of their nationality, has a right to basic education.
“It is important to note that, in terms of section 29(1)(a) of the constitution, every child in South Africa has a constitutional right to basic education,” Gwarube stated.
She added that section 28 of the constitution mandates that the “best interests of the child” are of paramount importance. These rights are inseparable from the constitutional guarantees of dignity and equality, which apply to all people in South Africa.
The minister reiterated that South African courts have consistently upheld these rights, ruling that access to education is not limited by citizenship, immigration status or the possession of identity and birth documentation.
“Public schools are constitutionally and statutorily obliged to admit learners in line with these principles.”
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“While learner enrolment and educator employment are administered by provincial education departments, the department of basic education continues to provide national policy direction, oversight, and support to ensure that access to basic education is managed in a lawful, equitable, and sustainable manner.”
