Billionaire businessman and founder of Capitec and the PSG Group, Johannes "Jannie" Mouton has set his sights on acquiring JSE-listed private school group, Curro Holdings, for R7.2bn via the Jannie Mouton Stigting (foundation), an established public benefit organisation (PBO).
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According to the SENS announcement, notifying shareholders of intent to acquire (firm intention announcement), the foundation is an existing shareholder of Curro (3.36%). The proposed buyout, if accepted, will see the delisting of Curro Holdings, and its transformation into a PBO.
"After the transaction, there will be no shareholders - all profits will be reinvested into expanding access and improving educational quality," Jan Mouton, foundation spokesperson and Jannie Mouton's son, told the eNCA.
“Rather than reducing school fees, we aim to fund at least 12,000 full bursaries for underprivileged children, build schools in underserved areas, and improve facilities - even where it doesn’t make commercial sense,” he continued.
Retention of management
The firm intention announcement also assured that, following the acquisition, Curro's current management and the existing board will be retained for the immediate future: "The [foundation] is aligned with Curro’s approach to good corporate governance and the robust framework, which management has put in place in its establishment of an institution of academic excellence in South Africa. Continued governance and oversight is important to the [foundation]."
The latest Curro financial results, release 27 August 2025, state it has 71,749 learners enrolled in its network of 189 schools, across 81 campuses. Curro Holdings has been listed on the JSE since 2011.
