DF Akademie

DF Akademie
Hoërskool D.F. Malan prior to being renamed to DF Akademie
Location
Frans Conradie Drive, Boston Bellville , Western Cape South Africa
Coordinates	33°53′37″S18°37′35″E / 33.8936°S 18.6265°E / -33.8936; 18.6265
Information
School type	Public Semi-Private
Motto	Vir jou Suid-Afrika (For you South Africa)
Religious affiliation	Christianity
Established	1954;72 years ago (1954)
School district	District 4
Principal	Hannes Oosthuizen
Principal	(Deputy Principal) Stiaan Dippenaar
Staff	100 full-time
Grades	8–12
Gender	Boys & Girls
Age	14to 18
Number of students	1,200 pupils
Language	Afrikaans
Schedule	07:45-14:10
Campus	Urban Campus
Campus type	Suburban
Colours	Yellow   Blue   White
Slogan	Akademie is ons besigheid ("Education is our business")
Nickname	DF
Rivals	Hoërskool Bellville Hoërskool Stellenberg Hoërskool Tygerberg
Accreditation	Western Cape Education Department
Newspaper	Die Herout
Feeder schools	Laerskool Kenridge Laerskool Panorama Laerskool Totius Laerskool Welgemoed Parow East Primary School Vredelust Primary School Laerskool De Tyger
Alumni	Werner Greeff H.Kennedy P. Greeff Eduard Greyling Loki Rothman Marais Erasmus Frikkie Kancho Margot Rothman Juvan Coetzee Johnny de Ridder
Honours	Part of 100 schools included in The Cambridge University Student Guide to Excellence: 2012 and 2013 [1]
Website	DF Akademie official website

DF Akademie is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in the suburb of Boston, Bellville in the Western Cape province of South Africa - near Cape Town. In 2012 and 2013, the school was included in The Cambridge University Student Guide to Excellence, a selection of 100 top schools worldwide. ^[1] In recent years, it has been one of the academically top-performing schools in the Western Cape.

History

The school was established in 1951. D Brink was the first principal up to 1969. He was followed by E Smit (1970–1977), H Franzen (1978–1986), C de Jager (1986–1988), B Volschenk (1989–1996), R Truter (1996–2007), Joe Dorfling (2007-2016), Sias Conradie (2017-2025) and currently Hannes Oosthuizen.

The school was initially named Hoërskool D.F. Malan after the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. Objections to the school's name commemorating Malan, known as one of the "architects of apartheid", led the school's governing body to initiate a process to change the name, and a vote in 2021 supported a change to "DF Akademie". The name change was challenged in court, but in June 2025 the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed the challenge, and the new name became official in 2026. ^{[2] [3]}

Music scene

DF Akademie is also notable for producing several famous musicians on the local South African music scene, such as Pierre Greeff and Hunter Kennedy. Consequently, many local bands including aKing, Foto na Dans, Jax Panik, Lukraaketaar, Die Heuwels Fantasties and Frik13 are associated with the school. This, along with the fact that other similar musicians attended neighbour school Bellville, has led to the Bellville area, in which these schools are situated, earning the nickname "Bellville Rock City". ^[4] Musician Loki Rothman, who attended the school, reached the final of SA's Got Talent in 2009 while still a senior in the school, and the founding members of Cape Town alt-pop duo EMERGER, Emma de Goede and Gerrit "Gerry" Matthee, also attended the school. ^[5] Their debut single "Break & Fall" was a winner of the international Avid and Abbey Road Studios Song Contest and they were featured as Apple Music's New Artist Spotlight in July 2018. ^[6]

Alumni

Other notable alumni include former Springbok rugby player Werner Greeff, international cricket umpire Marais Erasmus, ballet dancer Eduard Greyling and a former dean of Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch, Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel. Actors Leigh Wakeford, Albert Maritz and 7de Laan duo Chris Vorster and Corné Crous all attended the school.

Sister School

DF Akademie has a sister-school in Kortrijk, Belgium and some of the students from these schools usually visit each other yearly. ^[7]

Athletics

DF Akademie annually participates in the DTBS athletics competition, along with three other schools from the Bellville area: Bellville, Tygerberg and Stellenberg. DTBS is especially well known for the performance of these schools' non-participating pupils on the pavilion as they perform songs and cheers to encourage their athletes during the day - for which a trophy is also awarded. DF Akademie has thus far been the second most successful school in the singing trophy - winning it two time less than Stellenberg. It is in the athletics, however, where the school achieved unprecedented success - winning the trophy all but three times in the first 19-years of the competition.

Other events

The school also participates in a yearly Interschools event (week-long derby) with its local rival Bellville High School, in which the schools contest on most platforms - including Rugby, Field hockey, Netball, Cross country, Chess, Debate, Mountain biking and, from 2013 onwards, EA Sports FIFA. The first team rugby, hockey and netball matches are the main events. In recent years Bellville has strongly dominated the rugby while DF Akademie dominated both Boys' and Girls' hockey.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. "Cambridge Circle of Excellence". DF Akademie. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
2. Cruywagen, Vincent (5 Jun 2025). "School's decision to change name from "disgraced" DF Malan to DF Akademie "undeniably rational" – SCA". Daily Maverick.
3. Petersen, Mauricia (14 January 2026). "Nuwe jaar, nuwe naam – Hoërskool DF Malan nou amptelik DF Akademie" (in Afrikaans).
4. "Bellville, Rock City". Channel 24. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
5. Klerk, Deur Nielen De (2018-07-25). "Dynamic duo emerge on the music scene". Netwerk24. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
6. "Chance encounter yields fame". News24. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
7. "DF Akademie". DF Akademie. Retrieved 14 January 2026.

External links

• DF Akademie official website
• DF Akademie on Instagram
• DF Akademie on Facebook