Bilingual Schools in Cape Town: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

Last reviewed: October 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Families searching for bilingual schools in Cape Town usually picture a classroom where half the day runs in English and half in another language. That model is rare here. What the city does offer is English-medium international schooling with serious additional-language programmes, in a country where Afrikaans, Xhosa and English share daily life. This guide explains what that means in practice, school by school, and how to judge whether it fits your child.

The details come from the schools' own websites in October 2026. They are specific about languages, which is more than many directory listings are, but they publish little about fees, so budgeting questions need a direct enquiry.

What "bilingual" means in Cape Town

There are three routes. The first is an English-medium international school with a second language taught as a subject, which is what all three schools below provide. The second is a South African private or public school teaching in Afrikaans or in English with Afrikaans as a first additional language, often following the national curriculum rather than an international one. The third is a school that serves a national community abroad, such as a German or French school, which tends to teach most subjects in that language.

For an expat child, the first route gives the easiest landing, because lessons are in English and the second language grows alongside it. It will not make a child fluent in Afrikaans or Spanish on its own, so be realistic: the schools describe language lessons, not immersion.

The national context matters too. Under the South African Schools Act, compulsory attendance starts in the year a child turns seven and runs to the end of the year they turn fifteen, or Grade 9, whichever comes first.

Where the schools are

Cape Town spreads across a peninsula and a long coastline, and the three schools sit in three different corners. Blouberg International School is in the northern suburbs on Ringwood Drive, Hout Bay International School is on the Atlantic side on Main Road, Hout Bay, and Helderberg International School is out east in Somerset West. Commuting between those areas is not practical, so the school you choose largely decides where you rent. Check traffic at drop-off hours before you commit to a neighbourhood.

Curricula on offer

• International Baccalaureate: Hout Bay International School runs the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, and describes itself as South Africa's only IB continuum world school.
• Cambridge: Blouberg and Helderberg follow the Cambridge pathway: Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary, IGCSE in Years 9 and 10, then AS Level, with A Level available.
• National curriculum: the South African CAPS programme is taught in many other private and public schools, and is not offered by the three schools profiled here.

The schools and their language programmes

Hout Bay International School

Hout Bay is the clearest case of a multilingual setting inside an English-medium IB school. Pupils choose French, Spanish or Afrikaans as an additional language from PYP 1, according to the school's FAQ, and about 70 per cent of students are South African and 30 per cent international. That mix means your child will hear several accents and home languages in the playground.

The school teaches from Nursery at 2.5 years through PYP 6, then the MYP and Diploma. Class sizes are capped at 22 in junior primary and 24 from PYP 4 to DP 2. Afrikaans is not compulsory for entry to South African universities because students graduate with a matric exemption, the school says, which matters if you are weighing Afrikaans against French or Spanish. The school is also phone-free, which some families value.

Blouberg International School

Blouberg teaches the Cambridge curriculum from Nursery through AS and A Level and sets out its language policy clearly. English is the language of instruction, Afrikaans begins in Year 1 (an elective from Year 7), and German and Spanish are introduced at primary level, with a choice between them from Year 4. All three are elective subjects from Year 7.

In Years 9 and 10 students follow Cambridge IGCSE with exams at the end of Year 10, then AS Level in Years 11 and 12. That route suits families who may move to the UK or a Commonwealth country, because Cambridge qualifications travel well. The school says non-South African students need a study visa and that it issues visa support letters only after enrolment is complete.

Helderberg International School

Helderberg welcomes learners from Nursery (ages 2.5 to 4) to AS Level and offers Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary, IGCSE and AS and A Levels. Its high school subject list includes Afrikaans, Spanish and German alongside English, mathematics, sciences, business studies, ICT and robotics.

The school argues for taking Afrikaans because a second language is required for a matric pass and for some degrees in South Africa, including Education and Law, which is its own view of the system and worth checking against the university you have in mind. Applications are accepted all year, with an assessment before a letter of offer.

Fees and extras

None of the three schools publishes a full fee table on its public site, so treat any figure you see elsewhere with caution. The one sourced number is Hout Bay's non-refundable application fee of R800, payable before the admission assessment. Expect to pay in rand, and expect tuition to differ by stage, with extra costs for uniforms, exams and trips.

• Application and placement fees: separate from tuition and usually non-refundable.
• Uniform: each school runs its own uniform store.
• Exams: Cambridge and IB examination fees are normally billed on top.
• Study visa costs: non-South African families pay visa application and medical cover costs.
• Currency: the rand moves against the dollar, euro and pound, so ask whether your fees are fixed for the year.

Hout Bay says a school-canteen lunch is included for its nursery and primary pupils, and that aftercare is included in the nursery fee, so compare like with like when you ask other schools for quotes.

How to judge a school's language programme

Ask how many hours a week. A language taught for 90 minutes weekly will not produce fluency. Ask for the timetable at your child's year group and how many teachers are native speakers.

Match the language to your plans. If you plan to stay in the Western Cape, Afrikaans helps with daily life and is needed for some South African degrees. If you expect to move on to Europe or Latin America, French, Spanish or German may pay off sooner.

Plan for the assessment. Hout Bay says assessments take one to three hours depending on age, and Helderberg says an assessment may be required before an offer. Younger children usually spend a day in class, which makes a visit before enrolment easy to arrange.

Compare more schools

To see other options in the city, browse international schools in Cape Town on International School Advisor.

More guides to schools in Cape Town

• International school admissions in Cape Town
• browse international schools in Cape Town on International School Advisor

Frequently asked questions

Are there truly bilingual international schools in Cape Town?

Not among the three schools we list. Hout Bay International School, Blouberg International School and Helderberg International School teach in English and add Afrikaans, French, Spanish or German as subjects. If your child needs full immersion in another language, ask about Afrikaans-medium schools or national community schools, which follow different curricula.

Which languages can children study at international schools in Cape Town?

Hout Bay International School lets pupils choose French, Spanish or Afrikaans from PYP 1. Blouberg International School starts Afrikaans in Year 1 and introduces German and Spanish at primary level, with a choice from Year 4. Helderberg International School lists Afrikaans, Spanish and German among its high school subjects.

Do expat children need to learn Afrikaans in Cape Town?

Not always. Hout Bay International School says Afrikaans is not required for entry to South African universities for its students, who graduate with a matric exemption. Helderberg International School notes a second language is required for a matric pass, so confirm what your child's chosen route requires before you drop it.