A momentous occasion unfolded at 114 Grayston Drive as The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) officially broke ground on its upcoming state-of-the-art campus, set to house both The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE-Vega School Johannesburg.
This significant development signals a bold step toward expanding access to top-tier private higher education in South Africa’s economic hub.
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Strategically positioned in the heart of the Sandton CBD, the new campus will be designed to provide an exceptional student experience to 9 000 students, while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and learning by design.
Within close proximity to public transport, including the Sandton Gautrain station, students will have easy access to a vibrant, dynamic learning environment.
The IIE’s Varsity College, IIE-Vega, and IIE-MSA managing director Louise Wiseman said: “The new campus, with the ongoing initiatives to further advance the range of academics and student experiences, forms part of the institution’s drive for university status, when the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) releases the criteria, expected in 2025.
“Up to this point, legislation has precluded private institutions from being called universities, despite the fact that all public and private institutional qualifications are deemed equivalent by the Council on Higher Education (CHE).”
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As South Africa’s largest private higher education institution, and a wholly owned subsidiary of investment holding company ADvTECH Limited, the new campus for The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE-Vega School Johannesburg will provide cutting-edge educational resources and world-class facilities.
“It is increasingly evident that The IIE has become the institution of choice for quality higher education, and we are thrilled to be able to ensure that thousands more students will be able to benefit from the opportunities that will arise from the development of our new mega-campus,” Wiseman added.
A standout feature of the new combined campus is the inclusion of IIE-Vega School, which will be housed in a dedicated standalone facility specifically designed to support its unique, industry-focused curriculum.
This custom-built space will cultivate a vibrant learning environment that reflects the creative and strategic essence of IIE-Vega School. One of its most anticipated features is a state-of-the-art indoor sports centre, which will facilitate a well-rounded academic and extracurricular student experience.
“Our private university positioning continues to focus on the individual student, with an emphasis on creating a dynamic, engaged, and supportive academic environment consisting of comparatively small lecture groups, interactive facilitation techniques, the use of modern technology in the educational space, lecturers who are actively engaged in their respective professional fields, and bringing industry experience into the learning environment,” Wiseman concluded.
As the countdown begins to the grand opening in January 2026, this ground-breaking ceremony marks the beginning of an exciting journey for The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton and IIE-Vega School.
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