ADvTECH Expands African Footprint – Acquires Ethiopian School Group

    JSE-listed private education provider continues to build scale and quality private education provision on the continent

    The ADvTECH Group (ADvTECH) announced today that it has concluded an agreement to acquire a 100% interest in Flipper International School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, further reinforcing its position as the leading provider of private education in Africa. The acquisition will add five schools and approximately 3000 students to the group’s international portfolio.

    Founded in 1998 by Menna Selamu Bekele and Serkaddis Seifu Yeteshawork, Flipper International School quickly became renowned for its academic excellence.

    The founders commitment to developing the Ethiopian education sector, and enhancing the country’s internationally-focused education options, led to the creation of a globally competitive, state-of-the-art school in the Summit area of Addis Ababa.

    The Saham Group (Saham) and Tana Africa Capital (Tana) made funding available to complete the Summit facility and bring about enhancements in technology, academics, governance and human resources. This helped boost the strong growth of Flipper International School over the last five years.

    Commenting on the acquisition, ADvTECH CEO Geoff Whyte said: “We are delighted to welcome Flipper International Schools to the ADvTECH Group and remain committed to its founding ethos. Furthermore, the acquisition positions us well to grow our presence in the Ethiopian market, as well as expand our scale across the continent.”

    Sharing their thoughts on the acquisition Menna and Serkaddis said: “We are incredibly proud of what we have built at Flipper International School. Our mission has always been to be a beacon of academic excellence in the region. We are confident that ADvTECH’s expertise and resources will help the school further enhance the educational experience and growth opportunities for students and staff.”

    Flipper International School’s five campuses are located in Beklobet in the centre and Summit in the East of Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is benefitting from the rapid urbanisation in Ethiopia, leading to increased demand for high-quality education.

    -ENDS-

    About ADvTECH
    The ADvTECH Group, a JSE-listed company, is Africa’s leading private education provider and the continental leader in quality education, training, skills development and placement services. The group reports its performance in a segmental structure reflecting the schools and tertiary businesses as two separate education divisions, and resourcing as a third division.

    ADvTECH’s Schools Division comprises ten brands with 118 schools across the continent, including
    Gaborone International School in Botswana, the Makini Group of Schools and Crawford International School in Kenya. It owns eight Tertiary brands, across 33 campuses in South Africa. ADvTECH’s 6 Resourcing brands place thousands of candidates annually. For further information on the results go to www.advtech.co.za