ISASA

What ISASA does

ISASA is a non-profit membership association representing over 900 independent schools across 8 Southern African countries, collectively educating 210,000+ pupils. Founded in 1929 as the Conference of Headmasters and Headmistresses, the organisation is headquartered in Johannesburg and operates with approximately 13 staff, providing sector advocacy, professional development, quality assurance oversight, and shared financial services to its member institutions.

The association's service portfolio is organised through a tiered structure of subsidiaries and sub-brands. SAHISA and SABISA anchor senior leadership and business management development respectively, while ISMA and SAISHRA address more specialised sub-segments of the membership. Member-facing digital tools include a Year Planner and a School Finder. A core asset is the ISASA Retirement Fund, which holds R6 billion in assets across 162 participating schools and is administered in conjunction with Old Mutual; SAMSTIP, a structured pooled-investment product, extends this financial-services layer through a partnership with Investec Bank and UNISA. Quality assurance for the sector has been formally delegated to OISESA, positioning the broader ISASA orbit within the recognised accreditation architecture.

ISASA's revenue is generated from four streams: annual school membership subscriptions, publications sales, corporate associate memberships, and fees from professional development workshops. The pricing model is recurring membership-based, with churn risk distributed across many small-to-medium schools rather than concentrated in any single enterprise contract. Tertiary partnerships with the University of the Witwatersrand and UNISA extend the association's reach into leadership training and structured investment education.

Name

ISASA

Legal name

Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (NPC)

Website

https://isasa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISASA is a non-profit membership association representing 900+ independent schools across 8 Southern African countries, providing advocacy, professional development, quality assurance oversight, and shared financial services including a R6 billion retirement fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Membership Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADALAC

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

Keywords

• Independent school association
• Education membership services
• Professional development training
• School advocacy representation
• Retirement fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. School Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscription fees from member schools. Each member school pays an annual subscription fee in return for a range of services including financial, advocacy, school best practice, professional development and other services.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of educational guides and publications to member schools including School Governance guide (R255), School Marketing guide (R290), and Transformation & Diversity guide (R315).
3. Corporate Associate Membership: Annual subscription from corporate associates - commercial enterprises that provide products and services to the independent school sector. Cost is set on a sliding scale determined by company size and turnover.
4. Professional Development Workshops: Professional development workshops and training sessions for staff at member schools including topics like child protection, school governance, anti-racism, and performance management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISASA is a voluntary non-profit membership association that provides services to over 900 independent schools across 8 Southern African countries. Its core offerings include a R6 billion retirement fund covering 162 schools, public liability insurance, professional development programmes, advocacy and representation, quality assurance and compliance support, and publications such as the Independent Education journal.

Product overview

ISASA is a non-profit membership organization for independent (private) schools in Southern Africa, not a technology product company. It provides a comprehensive suite of services to over 900 member schools including advocacy representation, professional development workshops (topics include school marketing, child protection, governance, POPIA compliance), conferences (SAHISA for school heads, SABISA for bursars), publications (Independent Education magazine, School Governance guide), Staff Development Fund grants, Retirement Fund management (R6 billion under management via Old Mutual), Public Liability Insurance, SAMSTIP teacher intern programme, and the ISASA School Finder tool. The organization also facilitates shared curriculum initiatives including Grade 7 shared assessments, and provides policy templates, employment contract templates, and digital tools like the ISASA Year Planner. Member schools undergo quality assurance every six years by OISESA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAHISA: Southern African Heads of Independent Schools Association - a professional membership and development organisation for heads and principals at ISASA-affiliated schools.
• SABISA
• ISMA
• SAISHRA

Products and services

• ISASA School Membership
• ISASA Retirement Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 900 member schools across Southern Africa
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OISESA (Office of Independent Schools Evaluations Southern Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022OISESA conducts quality assurance evaluations for ISASA member schools every six years, beginning in 2022. This independent organization ensures schools meet prescribed conditions for membership and provide quality education.
• UNISAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNISA partners with ISASA and Investec on the SAMSTIP programme, providing degree programmes (B.Ed. and PGCE) for trainee teachers at ISASA member schools.
• Wits UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISASA partners with Wits University for the Leadership Development Programme for education professionals at member schools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Independent Schools Victoria (ISV): Victorian peak body for independent schools offering member services, advocacy, and sector representation. Similar scale, mission, and operational model to ISASA.
• Independent Schools Council (ISC): UK umbrella body for seven independent school associations, providing collective advocacy and sector representation. Operates a federated model but serves the same function as ISASA for its member schools.
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS): US-based membership association for independent (private) schools, offering advocacy, professional development, and member services analogous to ISASA's role in Southern Africa. Operates at significantly larger scale but with a comparable value proposition and governance model.
• Australian Independent Schools Australia (AISA): National peak body for independent schools in Australia, providing advocacy, research, and member services. Comparable in scope to ISASA but at a national Australian level.
• Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW): Peak body for independent schools in New South Wales, Australia, providing advocacy, compliance support, and professional learning to member schools. Closely parallels ISASA's structure and service offering at a regional level.
• Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ): Australian state-level association representing independent schools with services including advocacy, professional development, and sector representation. Highly comparable operating model and member-services portfolio to ISASA.
• Independent Schools Association (ISA) UK: UK-based association of independent schools providing membership services, inspections, and professional development. Comparable size, scope, and value proposition to ISASA.

Emerging players

• Independent Schools Foundation (ISF) Hong Kong: Foundation supporting independent schools in Hong Kong with educational services and infrastructure. Comparable as a sector support organization, though focused on a specific geographic cluster rather than a broad regional association model.

Regional players

• European Council of International Schools (ECIS): European-based membership association for international and independent schools offering conferences, professional development, and accreditation support. Similar mission to ISASA but geographically focused on Europe rather than Southern Africa.

Broad incumbents

• Council of International Schools (CIS): International membership organization focused on K-12 school accreditation, evaluation, and professional development globally. Overlaps with ISASA's quality assurance and professional development offerings but operates at a much larger international scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISASAnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isasa
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISASA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

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 ISASA