Diamantveld High School is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school located in Kimberley in the Northern Cape. Established in 1935, it is recognised as the oldest Afrikaans high school in the city and continues to serve pupils from Grade 8 to Grade 12. The school follows a Christian ethos and draws learners from across the region, supported by strong feeder primary schools such as Newton Primary School and Diamantveld Laerskool.
The school opened on the former Kimberley Teachers Training College hostel grounds and was initially known as Kimberley High School before receiving the name Diamantveld in 1936. Its founding was driven by local community leaders who wished to establish a dedicated Afrikaans secondary school in Kimberley. Over the years the school has relocated and expanded, with a succession of principals guiding its development from the early years under Dr O’Grady through to the present leadership.
Diamantveld operates two boarding hostels, J. P. Auret House and Dugmore House, which provide accommodation for pupils from surrounding towns and further afield. Afrikaans is the sole medium of instruction and the school maintains a co-educational environment for all academic and cultural activities.
The school has achieved notable academic and extracurricular success. In 2016 it recorded the best matric results in the Northern Cape. Diamantveld has also excelled in national competitions, including winning the International Aqualibrium Schools Water Competition in 2015, an event focused on engineering, science and mathematics.
The school has engaged in international collaboration, including a partnership with PASCH Schulen during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which introduced German as an additional language and encouraged greater cultural exchange through sport.
Diamantveld is a well-known venue in South African schools sport. Since 2014 it has been one of the hosts of the Wilde Klawer National Tournament, an annual gathering of the country’s top rugby and netball schools. The school’s rugby facilities meet provincial standards, and on occasion senior provincial matches involving the Griquas have been played on its fields.
The school’s alumni include figures from sport, media and public life. Former pupils include Springbok rugby players, national swimmers, provincial cricketers and broadcasters. Individual learners have also distinguished themselves in academic and leadership fields, including achievements in mathematics, science and refereeing.
With its heritage, strong community identity and established place in Northern Cape education, Diamantveld High School continues to offer academic, cultural and sporting opportunities within an Afrikaans medium environment.