Left to Right: Ronnie de Klerk (Advtech: Director of Properties), Merice Roopram (Advtech: Assistant Brand Manager), Alex Isaakidis (Advtech: CEO Schools Division), Anthony Diepenbroek (Zendai Development SA: CEO), Du, Wenhui (Zendai Development SA, COO), Markus Hermann (Senior Advisor to Zendai SA board).
Zendai Development South Africa (ZDSA), developers of the Modderfontein New City and ADvTECH’s Schools Division have signed an agreement securing the establishment of Founders Hill College in Modderfontein.
The new school (which opens in January 2016) will initially cater for Grades 0 to 4 and has already over 100 students registered for the new academic year. The full offering caters for pupils from Grade 0 to Matric and will provide as many as 1500 student spaces across all grades.
Modderfontein New City’s conceptual master plan outlines several key functional districts including a fully-fledged education precinct that will host and support crèche-to-career type institutions preparing students for life beyond matric.
ADvTECH and Zendai Development SA signed an MOU during the Modderfontein New City launch (April 2014).
“We made a commitment to build an education precinct when we announced the project and we’re doing just that,” said Anthony Diepenbroek, CEO, Zendai Development South Africa.
“Schools in our country are more than just bricks and mortar structures — they are about building strong communities so all the children can get the best possible start in life. By investing in the education precinct, we are investing in our country’s future.” says ADvTECH’s Alex Isaakidis, CEO of the Schools Division.
Founders Hill College forms part of the ADvTECH Academies group of schools affiliated with the ADvTECH Schools Division. While each school retains its own curriculum, identity and ethos, what they have in common is their focus in catering to the needs of their immediate communities.
ADvTECH’s School Division provides support in the areas of academics, operations, human resources, marketing and communication, information technology and property management. While the brand allows the application of diverse curricula to service the educational needs of the various communities served by each school, all schools will be expected to maintain the Schools Division’s high educational standards.
The ADvTECH Schools Division has more than 20 years’ experience in school management and successfully owns and operates more than 80 private schools across South Africa and in Botswana with such well known schools brands as Crawford Schools™, Trinity House, Centurus Colleges, Abbotts College and Maragon.
“Once completed, the New City will serve a diverse student population at various life stages; we want the community to know that their educational needs for college and career remains top of mind to us” says Diepenbroek.
“Modderfontein is a fast growing node given its proximity to travel hubs and highways, this growth will only accelerate as the project nears completion when we expect to house close to 100,000 new residents. It is therefore important to provide the facilities (such as schools) that will cater to current and future residents” he adds.
Construction on the school site is underway and the school will be ready to open its doors in January 2016. “Families in Modderfontein will benefit from the new school that will ensure their children can continue to receive world class education in safe, modern and friendly facilities close to their homes,” says ADvTECH’s Isaakidis.
“We develop a nurturing learning environment in our schools based on international standards of academic excellence and innovative teaching methods,” adds John Luis, the Head of Academics at ADvTECH Schools Division.
Zendai recently announced its flagship luxury residential project “The Centenary” to be developed as part of Modderfontein New City in September this year. The Centenary will cover an area of approximately 12ha and will be developed in phases. Construction is expected to commence during the first quarter of 2016 with completion programmed for early 2017″.
Over the next 15 to 20 years, Zendai plans to transform the 1,600 ha of land it acquired in 2013 into a smart and sustainable metropolis.