Chengelo School

What Chengelo School does

Chengelo School is a private, Christian international boarding school founded in 1988 in Mkushi, Central Province, Zambia. It delivers a continuous educational pathway spanning Primary (Pre-school to Grade 7), Secondary (Forms 1-5, IGCSE), and Sixth Form (Forms 6-7, A-Level), with boarding available from age 8. The school follows the Cambridge International curriculum framework combined with a biblical worldview, and operates the Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre as a wholly-owned subsidiary that delivers adventure education, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and the Rumdoodle Awards across all year groups. Teaching staff are registered with the Teaching Council of Zambia and the school draws expatriate teachers from the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Chengelo generates revenue primarily through recurring annual tuition and boarding fees across its three academic phases, with scholarships (academic, sports, arts) and bursaries/assisted places providing financial flexibility. Detailed fee schedules are not publicly disclosed on the website but are made available to prospective parents through a dedicated fee schedule page. The school also operates a Chengelo Training Farm supporting practical agricultural education, a Graduate Training Programme (GTP) for aspiring teachers, and the Ndubaluba ITP for outdoor instructor development, creating additional internal capacity-building revenue and cost vectors.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on the school's website with online application forms, downloadable information packs, a 'Please Call Me' callback service, social media (primarily Facebook), alumni referrals, and community visibility through ISAZ (Independent Schools Association of Zambia) sports tournaments. The student body includes multiple nationalities, and the alumni network ('Old Chengelians') is positioned as a key enrollment driver and brand asset. The school is governed by a Board of Governors and School Trustees, with no parent company or external equity ownership indicated.

Name

Chengelo School

Legal name

Chengelo School

Website

https://chengeloschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chengelo School is a Christian international boarding school in Mkushi, Zambia, founded in 1988, delivering Cambridge International curriculum from Primary through Sixth Form with integrated outdoor adventure education at its Ndubaluba centre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 International Boarding School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAG

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYTHAAAOAA

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Educational Adventure Programs (Outdoor Education, Skill Development)

Keywords

• International boarding school
• Cambridge curriculum education
• Christian school education
• Outdoor adventure education
• Secondary school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Mkushi

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Boarding Fees: Chengelo generates revenue primarily through enrollment fees for its Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form programs. Both boarding and day school options are available, with boarding students receiving accommodation, meals during term time, and pastoral care as part of the program. The school offers differentiated pricing across educational levels (Primary, Secondary, Sixth Form).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chengelo School is a private, Christian international boarding school in Mkushi, Zambia, that delivers full-time residential education from Primary School through Sixth Form (A-Levels) on the Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum. It sells tuition-based enrolment to parents and complements classroom learning with an integrated outdoor adventure education program delivered through its dedicated Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre. The school's value proposition centres on faith-based character formation, academic rigour, and experiential outdoor learning within a single residential campus.

Product overview

Chengelo School is a Christian, international boarding school offering a unified holistic education from Primary (Pre-school to Grade 7) through Secondary (Forms 1-5, IGCSE) to Sixth Form (A-Levels). The portfolio is structured around three core educational phases complemented by the distinctive Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre, which provides adventure education across all year groups as an integral component rather than a separate offering. Additional products include the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Rumdoodle Awards (progressive adventure challenges), the Graduate Training Programme for aspiring educators, and the Ndubaluba ITP for outdoor instructor development. The school follows Cambridge International curriculum combined with a biblical worldview, with boarding available from age 8 upwards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre: Chengelo's own outdoor adventure education centre set within its own natural campus, providing Christian adventure learning programs for students from Primary to Sixth Form. The centre offers programs including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Rumdoodle Awards, expeditions, and character-building camps.

Products and services

• Chengelo Primary School Full-time residential Primary School education delivered on the Cambridge Primary curriculum at Chengelo's Mkushi campus, for children from early years through to the end of Primary, serving both local Zambian and international families.
• Chengelo Secondary School Full-time residential Secondary School education following the Cambridge Lower Secondary and IGCSE curriculum at Chengelo's Mkushi campus, preparing students for A-Level study and international university admission.
• Chengelo Sixth Form Two-year A-Level programme on the Cambridge Assessment International Education framework, serving as the final stage of Chengelo's K-12 pathway and supporting students' university applications.
• Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre A dedicated outdoor adventure education centre operated by Chengelo School that delivers structured Adventure Curriculum programmes, Duke of Edinburgh's Award pathways, and the Rumdoodle Award system to Chengelo students across all phases.
• Chengelo Training Farm An on-campus agricultural training facility at Chengelo School that supports the school's holistic educational offering through practical, vocational, and character-forming activities for students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% A*-C grades in IGCSE 2025 (highest in 15 years)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISASA (Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa)coreOthersChengelo is a member of ISASA, the largest independent schools association in Africa. This affiliation provides networking opportunities with other leading African independent schools, access to professional development resources, and represents recognition of the school's standards and quality within the independent education sector in Southern Africa.
• ISAZ (Independent Schools Association of Zambia)coreOthersChengelo participates in ISAZ competitions, including sports tournaments where the school has achieved multiple zone victories. ISAZ provides a network for Zambian independent schools and organizes interschool athletics, rugby, and other competitive events that showcase student abilities.
• Cambridge InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationChengelo follows the Cambridge International curriculum framework, offering Cambridge Primary, IGCSE, and A-Level qualifications. This partnership provides internationally recognized academic standards, assessment frameworks, and certification that prepares students for global university opportunities.
• Zambian Ministry of EducationminorOthersChengelo operates in alignment with Zambian educational standards and regulations, maintaining compliance with national education requirements while delivering the Cambridge International curriculum. The Department of Education affiliation provides institutional recognition within Zambia's education system.
• Zambian-Italian Cultural CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Zambian-Italian Cultural Centre served as host venue for Chengelo's production of The Lion King in Lusaka, demonstrating community partnerships that support the school's arts and cultural programs. This collaboration enabled the school to share student talents with a broader Lusaka audience.
• Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ)minorOthersTeaching staff at Chengelo are required to obtain or be eligible to obtain registration with the Teaching Council of Zambia, ensuring compliance with national teacher professional standards and regulatory requirements for educational staff.
• Duke of Edinburgh's AwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChengelo offers the internationally recognized Duke of Edinburgh's Award program as part of its adventure education curriculum. This partnership provides students with opportunities to earn awards through service, skill development, physical recreation, and adventurous journeys, complementing the school's character development mission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Outward Bound International: Outward Bound is the global network of outdoor experiential learning providers, comparable to Chengelo's Ndubaluba Outdoor Centre in methodology and adventure-education positioning. It is an adjacent reference point rather than a direct competitor, since Ndubaluba is integrated into Chengelo's own curriculum rather than a standalone offering.
• United World Colleges (UWC): UWC is a global movement of international boarding colleges offering the IB Diploma to students selected on merit across nationalities. UWC is a broader incumbent competitor for the same internationally mobile, mission-driven families Chengelo targets with its Christian-led boarding model.

Direct peers

• American International School of Lusaka (AISL): AISL is a private, international, English-medium school in Lusaka serving both Zambian and expatriate students through a US-style college-prep curriculum. Like Chengelo, it competes for the same pool of internationally-minded families in Zambia and represents an alternative proposition for parents choosing between international curricula.
• St. Mary's Secondary School, Lusaka: St. Mary's is one of Zambia's most established private secondary schools with a Christian ethos and a strong academic track record feeding into international universities. It competes directly with Chengelo for Christian, academically-oriented Zambian families at the secondary and A-Level stages.
• Lusaka International Community School (LICS): LICS is a leading international school in Lusaka offering internationally recognised curricula (including IGCSE/A-Level pathways) to a multi-national student body. It is the closest like-for-like competitor to Chengelo in Zambia, sharing the same target market of fee-paying local and expatriate families seeking globally portable qualifications.

Regional players

• International School of Tanganyika (IST): IST is a long-established English-medium international school in Dar es Salaam offering K–12 programmes including IGCSE and IB pathways. It is a comparable regional competitor in East Africa for internationally mobile families who might otherwise consider Zambia-based boarding options like Chengelo.

Broad incumbents

• Le Rosey: Le Rosey is one of Switzerland's most prestigious premium international boarding schools, drawing students from a global elite and operating year-round across two campuses. It represents the global benchmark for premium international boarding — the category in which Chengelo is positioned at a regional and more affordable tier.

Emerging players

• African Leadership Academy: African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg is a pan-African, residential, values-driven secondary school that recruits high-potential students from across the continent. It competes with Chengelo for African families seeking an internationally recognised, character-focused boarding education, though its selection model is more selective and scholarship-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chengelo-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chengelo School