News

St John's College looks forward to welcoming our Old Johannian community back for Gaudy Day on Saturday, 20 June 2026, as we face old rivals St Stithians Boys' College in our traditional Pink Derby.

Welcome to the June edition of College Classifieds. The College Classifieds is our digital publication that offers the St John's community the opportunity to advertise their wares and services with fellow Johannians.

One hundred years ago today, the War Memorial Chapel at St John's College was dedicated. Archivist, Dr Mike Boyd, tells the story of how it came to be, from Fr Eustace Hill's determination to build in stone during times of hardship, to a Chapel that stands today as both a monument to those who gave their lives and the spiritual heart of the College

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Bruce Brammer Chalmers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. Bruce entered St John's College in 1984 and quickly became one of the most accomplished Johannian sportsmen of his era.

For Africa Day, St John's College welcomed Ms Nyiko Khoza, who addressed students from Pre-Preparatory to College level with a compelling challenge: Africa is not waiting for the future. Africa is building it.

St John's Sixth Form is expanding with the introduction of a Cambridge IGCSE programme from January 2027. This is a deliberate evolution of the Sixth Form's academic offering, strengthening the school's position as a centre of excellence while remaining firmly rooted in the traditions of St John's.

St John’s College is once again facing Michaelhouse for our traditional sports derby. Despite a brief hiatus, the relationship between the two schools spans over 90 years, dating back to 1933, and is always one of the most anticipated fixtures of the year.

The Easter term began on a high note with the Community Mass, which once again united the St John’s College community in tradition and reflection and the blessing of the new Heads, Mr Dale Jackson and Ms Noluthando Nkuna. We celebrated outstanding academic achievement, with Siza Gule, Head of School 2025, and his Second Prefect, Menzi Gule, accepted to Harvard University through the Early Action Programme.

At the end of Easter Term, the St John's community bid farewell to Prepartory Headmaster Lester Lalla, a leader defined by integrity, calm authority, and a deep passion for the education of boys. This tribute captures the man behind the role: thoughtful, principled, and genuinely loved by the community he served for nearly six years.

Old Johannian, Benjamin Willem, (Thomson 1997) has established himself as a world-class composer.

Hill House has become the first house in the College's history to have every captain of the five 1st team sports come from the same house.

On the edge of Burger Field, just under the Owen Nkumane Terrace, there is a small cleft carved out of the hillside, and in the middle of this stands an old, stone fountain. Until recently, the fountain was dry and faint markings were etched into the stone wall around it.