Helpmekaar - Afrikaans comes to Johannesburg

The lineage of Johannesburg’s first schools is broad and varied. What was notably absent in the early 1920s, however, were schools of stature that used Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.

It was in this context that Helpmekaar Kollege emerged. Established in 1921 in the Irene Church opposite the Union Grounds, it was founded by an Afrikaner community seeking educational independence for their children.

The laying of the foundation stone in 1925 by JBM Hertzog marked both a physical and symbolic assertion of Afrikaner presence in the city. Its enduring motto, “Komaan Helpmekaar/Come on, help each other”, was drawn from the poetry of Jan Celliers and encapsulates a spirit of mutual support which remains central to the school’s identity.

Parallel to this development, Rand Meisieskool took shape as a sister institution within the same cultural and linguistic milieu. This reinforced Braamfontein as a distinct centre of Afrikaans education in Johannesburg.

Both schools are filled with wonderful heritage buildings and features, including the particularly evocative cast-iron entrance gates at Rand Meisieskool. These gates were salvaged from Friedaura, one of the early Parktown mansions designed by Hermann Kallenbach. They were executed in a refined Art Nouveau idiom, embodying the craftsmanship and aesthetic ambitions of Johannesburg’s elite during the mining boom years.

Together, Helpmekaar and Rand Meisieskool invite a number of important questions. Why were two Afrikaans schools established in Braamfontein, rather than in the more affluent northern suburbs? And how have these institutions navigated the profound societal shifts following 1994?

Join Prof Kathy Munro and Joy Campkin-Smith as they explore these issues while strolling through the little-seen architectural treasures tucked away behind these two esteemed educational institutions.

Parking is available at the school and access is from the second gate in Melle Street (opposite Helpmekaar College’s main gate).