With just days to the reopening of schools, thousands of families across South Africa are scrambling to meet rising back-to-school costs, as the price of uniforms, stationery, and school fees continues to outpace inflation.
The Department of Basic Education has confirmed that the unified 2026 school calendar will commence nationwide on Wednesday, 14 January, a deadline that has heightened pressure on households already stretched by unemployment and rising living costs.
Recent reports indicate that the cost of mandatory school uniforms and stationery has increased by approximately 8% year-on-year, placing additional strain on parents, particularly those with more than one school-going child.
Saul Geffen, CEO of Teneo and founder of the Smart School System, describes the situation as a growing “compliance crisis,” where the cost of appearing school-ready has become a barrier to access.
“When a school blazer costs nearly half a month’s minimum wage, the system is failing its most vulnerable,” Geffen said.
“Digital-first education isn’t just a technological shift; it’s an economic rescue mission that strips away these hidden taxes and reinvests that money back into the learner’s data and tech tools.”
With national inflation currently anchored at 3.5%, Geffen notes that the cost of physical school requirements is now 128% higher than the general cost of living, deepening inequality within the education system.
Parents also expressed frustration and concern about the financial pressures that come with the start of the school year.
Joy Duimpies, an unemployed single parent, says the pressure to comply with uniform and stationery requirements often pushes families into debt.
“For me as an unemployed single parent, it's very difficult to provide for my daughter. I thank God that I do have aid. However, I do believe that the whole attire is very expensive. However I do believe that uniform the whole attire is very expensive.....There are kids out that that has never worn clothing items at R500 each and yet the uniform is priced at that.”
Duimpies added that a lack of flexibility from schools often forces parents to turn to loan sharks.
“Stationery is important; however, the school should at least have a grace period, as this leads to parents going to make loans at money lenders, and the cycle continues, so if there was a grace period, then parents could attend to all dues by the end of Jan at least,” says Joy Duimpies, who is a parent with a daughter.
Another parent, Esther Arendse, said that while she prepares early, peer pressure among learners has become her biggest challenge.
“School fees and stationery were planned for in advance. My biggest stress is peer pressure—how children want to be like other kids and want more things,” she said.
“It only takes two or three naughty children to pressure a whole class into wanting things they don’t need.”
Forum of South African Organisations (FOSA) leader Tebogo Mashilompane highlighted how unemployment continues to shape unequal school experiences.
“First we must realise that the level of unemployment is very high; many families live below poverty lines. January is a happy time for some learners and not so happy time for children whose parents are unemployed,” he said.
Mashilompane said the lack of proper uniforms often exposes learners to bullying, prompting him to launch a shoe drive initiative targeting disadvantaged schools.
“Last year while visiting various primary schools, I came across young children not having proper uniforms, some wearing torn shoes, etc., and that touched me, and I decided to start a ‘shoe drive’ project, which I believe later will include school uniforms. For me, dignity is everything. Lack of proper school uniform may lead to bullying.”
“Because some learners do mock those without proper uniform. Families without income or families that are relying on grants find it extremely hard to cope with the situation of buying uniforms because they must decide between buying a food pack or school uniforms. Such families rely on handouts, and again that speaks to the dignity of the child.”
He said the project would initially focus on selected schools, with principals identifying learners most in need.
“Since the project is still new, we will focus on the few schools we have identified. The principals and teachers will identify the learners, and we will then allocate shoes to such learners. As we continue visiting the schools, the number will increase.”
Meanwhile, the National Teachers’ Union (NATU) has raised concerns over the state of readiness in some provinces as the academic year begins.
The union said some schools have yet to receive essential stationery and textbooks, while others face budget constraints that undermine effective operations.
“NATU calls on the Department of Basic Education and provincial authorities to urgently address these challenges to ensure that no learner is disadvantaged,” the union said in a statement.
However, NATU noted that seven provinces, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and Western Cape, reported no major delivery challenges, while stressing the need for nationwide consistency.
Compounding the pressure, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has recently confirmed that 4,858 learners are still awaiting placement for Grade 1 and Grade 8 through the 2026 Online Admissions process.
The unplaced learners include 1,381 Grade 1 applicants and 3,477 Grade 8 applicants, representing about 1.5% of the 358,574 applications received.
“We are encouraged by the steady progress made in placing learners across Gauteng,” Chiloane said.
“We urge parents and guardians to remain patient and cooperative as we work tirelessly to ensure every learner is placed for the 2026 academic year.”
Saturday Star