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.
The 118th Annual General Meeting for the Old Johannian Association will be held on the 6th of May commencing at 18h00.
The 29th St John's Easter Rugby Festival, brought to you by Standard Bank, has come and gone, and it was one to remember featuring games that will stick in the memory, record crowds, and the added drama of night rugby on two of the three days.
2 Nights. 7 Shows. New Student Voices!
We took an entirely new approach to the Major Production this year as we brought a total of seven original works to the stage with OTP - Original Theatre Project.