South Africa needs R41 billion to address school problems — TimesLIVE

South Africa needs around R41 billion to overcome shortages of classrooms, sanitation, electricity supply and water in schools. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube stated this in response to a parliamentary question, TimesLIVE reports.

Shortage of classrooms and basic services

According to the Department of Basic Education, 4,305 schools in the country do not have a sufficient number of classrooms. Addressing this shortage requires the creation of approximately 43,600 additional classrooms.

A total of 773 schools do not have adequate water supply, while 303 institutions are not provided with sufficient electricity. The data cited by the minister are based on information from the Education Facilities Management System as of August 31, 2026.

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Sanitation problems

Another 2,287 schools are recorded as lacking adequate sanitation conditions. Sanitation facilities are available at 1,802 schools, but the number of toilet seats for students does not meet established standards.

Gwarube cautioned that these figures should not be added together to determine a single number of affected schools, as one educational institution may have several infrastructure problems at the same time. The final cost of work for each school, she said, will depend on site inspections, the scope of work, design requirements, location, procurement results and the plans of provincial education departments.