Who Owns Crawford International?

Crawford International was established in 1990 as an independent co-educational school in South Africa, founded with a mission to provide academically rigorous, internationally oriented education. The school's name reflects its aspiration to produce graduates with a broad, internationally aware perspective, and from its earliest years Crawford positioned itself as a secular, globally focused alternative to the faith-based independent schools that dominated the South African private school market.

Through the 1990s, Crawford built a strong reputation in Johannesburg's northern suburbs, attracting families from the professional and business community who valued academic achievement and international curriculum exposure. The school's IEB affiliation was central to its identity, as the IEB curriculum was widely regarded as more rigorous than the national NSC and produced results recognized by universities internationally.

ADvTECH Group acquired Crawford International as part of its strategy to build a portfolio of premium independent school brands across South Africa's major metropolitan areas. Under ADvTECH ownership, Crawford expanded significantly, opening campuses in multiple cities and suburbs to serve the growing demand for quality independent schooling across South Africa's urban centers.

Crawford's expansion included campuses in Johannesburg (Sandton, Ruimsig, and other suburbs), Pretoria, Durban (La Lucia), Cape Town, and other locations. Each campus was designed to deliver the Crawford curriculum and ethos consistently, with ADvTECH's centralized resources supporting curriculum development and teacher training across the network.

In 2018, ADvTECH expanded Crawford's international footprint by opening campuses in Botswana, reflecting the group's broader Africa strategy. The Botswana campuses serve the professional and expatriate community in Gaborone and other Botswana cities, extending Crawford's brand beyond South Africa's borders.

The 2024 IEB Matric results confirmed Crawford International's sustained academic standing. Crawford Sandton and Crawford La Lucia were ranked in the top ten co-educational schools in South Africa's IEB results, and Crawford schools collectively achieved a 100% IEB pass rate with an average Bachelor Degree pass rate of 95.3% across all campuses. These results reflect the consistency of academic standards maintained across a multi-campus network, which is operationally more challenging than a single-campus school.

By 2024, ADvTECH's Schools Division was reporting healthy enrolment growth. The Schools South Africa segment had previously recorded revenue growth of 13% and operating profit growth of 18% in the 2023 reporting period, with CEO Geoff Whyte noting in H1 2025 results that moderate fee increases, improved debtors control, and continued margin improvement contributed to strong financial performance.