Parents feel the pinch on back-to-school costs

AS SOUTH Africa's unified school calendar gets underway on Wednesday, January 14, parents say the cost of sending a child to school has reached breaking point - driven not only by uniforms and fees, but by increasingly long and expensive stationery lists.

- MURRAY SWART

New analysis by Teneo Online School estimates that the minimum "entry fee" for a Grade 8 learner at a public, fee-paying high school has risen to R5 015.78 in 2026. This covers compulsory uniforms, stationery and specialist tools, but excludes school fees, transport and food.

Uniform essentials including a blazer, shirts, jersey and trousers or skirt make up the biggest share at R2 714.90, followed by stationery packs costing R1 336.90. Footwear, a school bag and items such as a scientific calculator push the total beyond R5 000.