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Africa’s leading private education provider, ADvTECH Group, has secured 10 hectares of land in the Durban–Umhlanga corridor for the development of a brand-new university mega-campus that could eventually accommodate more than 10,000 students.
The campus will form part of the group’s expanding higher education network under the Emeris name, signalling a major new investment in tertiary education in Durban.
A campus for the future
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first phase scheduled to open in 2029.
Once completed, phase one will accommodate around 8,000 students and feature three academic buildings designed to support cutting-edge teaching and research. The campus is also planned as a full student lifestyle hub, not just a place to study.
Facilities will include specialised labs for:
- Civil engineering
- Electronic engineering
- Mechanical and mechatronics engineering
- Computer science
- Robotics and advanced technology
The first phase will also include a 500-bed student residence, along with a range of sports and recreation facilities. Among the features planned are:
- A covered Tier-One sports centre and gymnasium built to SuperSport broadcast standards
- Two Varsity Cup-standard rugby fields with lighting and seating
- A hockey astro turf with warm-up areas
Later phases will expand the campus further, increasing capacity to more than 10,500 students and adding another 500 beds of student accommodation.
Why Durban?
The campus will be built in the fast-growing Durban–Umhlanga development corridor, which is close to major commercial and economic hubs. The land was bought from Fundamentum Property Group, the developers behind the large-scale Westown Development project.
The region has seen significant investment in recent years, making it an ideal location for a higher education facility. With high youth unemployment in South Africa and increasing demand for scarce skills, this development is coming at just the right time!
According to the developers, the new campus will bridge the gap by providing training in sectors linked to technology, engineering and innovation. With thousands of students and hundreds of staff expected to work on the campus once it’s fully operational, the project is also expected to boost economic activity in surrounding communities.
This project follows two other new tertiary developments by ADvTECH Group that opened earlier in 2026, forming part of the company’s broader expansion strategy across South Africa.
For Durban, this means students can access innovation and higher education opportunities right on our doorstep.
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