Silikamva High School opened in January 2013. It started with the name Disa High, but was renamed to capture its own unique identity. Silikamva means “we are the future” – an apt description of the learners that attend and the expectations we share with them.

Positioned right next to Imizamo Yethu, the school primarily serves this community and the vast majority of our learners live here. Situated in Hout Bay, Imizamo Yethu contains a diverse community of over 30 000 people. It was established in 1990 as an informal settlement and now includes low-cost housing.

The need for an additional high school in Hout Bay was apparent for some time, so it was with much anticipation and hope that Silikamva High started. The provision of a local, easily accessible school for the students of Imizamo Yethu is now a reality. The school began with around 260 learners in grades 8 and 9, and now includes grades 8 -12 and has capacity for over 1000 learners. Reflective of the socio-economic situation of many families in Imizamo Yethu, the school is a non-fee-paying institution and was entirely reliant on the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) funding all its running costs. Developing the site and school into one that we are truly proud of has taken the commitment and generous support of important stakeholders, donors and the wider Hout Bay community.

When the school started, it was housed in a collection of containers that were converted into classrooms. The school functioned out of these containers and continued to grow. In January 2019 a brand new, flagship school was provided by the WCED for the learners of Silikamva High. It was with great excitement and anticipation that the learners and staff packed up and moved across to the new site. The old site now houses a Primary School, as a temporary solution to accommodate the need for schools in the area. The long term hope is that this primary school will be moved to a permanent site and Silikamva will be able to use the area for sport fields.