Pretoria Boys High School

About: Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS), founded in 1901, is one of South Africa’s oldest and most respected educational institutions, situated in the heart of Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, the school serves over 1,500 learners and employs a dedicated staff of more than 200 teachers and support personnel. For more than a century, PBHS has shaped generations of young men who have gone on to become leaders in business, science, the arts, public service, and sport, both nationally and internationally. Among its past pupils, the school counts two Nobel Prize winners (1951 - M. Theiler for Medicine, 2013 - M. Levitt for Chemistry); nineteen Rhodes Scholars; a Booker Prize winner; a Constitutional Court judge; eight Supreme Court judges; thirty-two high school headmasters; five international cricketers; four Springbok rugby players (including a captain) and many others.

Our Mission: Pretoria Boys High School strives to provide a holistic education that develops each boy’s intellectual, physical, social, and moral potential, preparing him to become a responsible, compassionate, and contributing member of society. This mission is guided by the school’s motto, Virtute et Labore (“By Virtue and Labour”), which reflects PBHS’s enduring values of integrity, perseverance, service, and excellence.

In practice, this means:

Academic Excellence: equipping boys with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to succeed in tertiary studies and beyond.

Character Development: instilling discipline, humility, and leadership through sport, culture, and service.

Community Engagement: fostering a sense of social responsibility through outreach, environmental, and fundraising initiatives.

Tradition and Transformation: balancing the school’s proud heritage with innovation to remain relevant in a changing world.

The Pretorian Trust and the Pretoria Boys High School Old Boys Association (PBHSOBA) support the school through fundraising and scholarships. The PBHSOBA, which includes thousands of members worldwide, plays an essential role in maintaining the school’s legacy and connecting Old Boys with current initiatives. Donor funds are managed responsibly, with independent audits and governance oversight ensuring full compliance with South African and international financial standards.

Over the past decade, PBHS has launched several successful initiatives to strengthen its educational offering and ensure long-term sustainability. These include infrastructure development, scholarship and bursary expansion, advancement office creation, technology integration and sustainability projects.

Looking forward, PBHS’s strategic goals focus on three key areas: accessibility, sustainability, and innovation. The school aims to increase the number of bursaries and scholarships available to talented learners from across South Africa, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent deserving students from accessing a world-class education. Planned major infrastructure projects include the Robotics and Innovation Centre which will be a hub for pioneering the next generation of technological education and advancement.

Ultimately, PBHS’s vision is to remain a leading institution in boys’ education — one that combines tradition with transformation. The school strives to empower young men to become thoughtful, ethical, and globally engaged citizens who live by the principles of Virtute et Labore.