Pretoria - The world-class tertiary education campus in Centurion, to open under the umbrella of Stadio Holdings, is expected to receive its first batch of students next year.
Stadio, a private tertiary education group, has injected funds in the region of R223 million into the campus, which was built during 2020 and this year.
Located near the N1 and N14 highways, the campus has been touted as “part of the drive for growth” aimed for by the group, especially in the midst of the negative impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy.
Stadio group chief executive Chris Vorster said yesterday that phase 1 of Stadio Centurion was completed in June this year, and the campus would officially open for students next year.
“Stadio’s smaller Gauteng campuses will migrate to Stadio Centurion over time, which in turn will unlock more cost efficiencies,” Vorster said.
Part of the group’s investment included an amount of R41m channelled towards the completion of the Centurion campus in the six-month period ending in June.
The group further invested R23m across its existing facilities and moveable assets. A staggering R71m was spent on the transfer of Stadio Durbanville land and on development related to the land.
The development of a mega-campus in Durbanville is among other developments by Stadio.
In February this year the group took transfer of land earmarked for the development, and anticipates opening the mega-campus in January 2024.
The Centurion campus opening will mark a milestone for the group since the consolidation of four institutions – Southern Business School, Embury, Lisof and Prestige Academy – to form the Stadio Higher Education Institution in 2020.
Vorster said: “The focus up to now has been on consolidating entities and laying a solid foundation for a new structure and managing the change.
“These solid results pave the way for a shift in focus to growth in 2022. Some 47 new academic programmes currently in the pipeline will also enhance the potential for growth.”
Students can look forward to enrolling for a range of qualifications, from higher certificates to degrees in education, management, IT, commerce and law, according to Stadio.
Mindful of the economic impact of Covid-19 on students’ financial status, Stadio forged a partnership with Capitec to provide affordable loans to students.
By 2026, Vorster said recently, the institution aimed to attract at least 56 000 students.
The multifaculty campus would offer contact learning and also provide support for distance-learning students.
This week, the group reported that student enrolment across all campuses rose by 11% to 34 494 from 31 053.
Over the same period, distance-learning students grew by 15% to 28 573 students from 24 784, while the number of contact-learning students declined by 6% to 5 921.
The institution attributed the decline in the number of contact-learning students over the past year to “students delaying or deferring studies given the uncertainties of Covid-19”.
Stadio, however, expressed confidence that contact-learning would recover in the near future. Last month the group recorded a student enrolment figure of 38 101, an increase from the 33 586 students who enrolled in the same period last year.
Student accommodation will be available adjacent to the campus.
Pretoria News