Head's message

It is a journey of discovering empathy and  living sustainably. It is therapy for the soul, and a place of wonderment and gratitude.

Kamoka Bush School is situated on a game farm near Modimolle in the beautiful Swaershoek Mountains of the Waterberg. It is the sixth school of St Stithians, and the word ‘kamoka’ is a sePedi word of unity and togetherness.

Kamoka Bush School offers a residential camp facility. The programme ranges from camps of a few days to extended camps which last 21 days. Students at St Stithians have a number of opportunities during their school career to enjoy Kamoka. The flagship camp is the Grade 9 Kamoka experience, in which the students of the Boys’ College and the Girls’ College undergo a 21-day camp experience which can be life-changing in a number of ways.

A number of other schools bring their students to Kamoka for a rich outdoor education experience. We have a particularly strong relationship with Pretoria Boys High students and staff.

Through the Kamoka experience, students experience seven Rs of Outdoor Education, as outlined by our Rector, Celeste Gilardi: rites of passage, relationships, reach, rootedness, responsibility, risk and reflection.

At Kamoka Bush School, experiential learning and engaging with nature are tools we use to expose our students to themselves and their world, beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom. Students are encouraged to participate in all of the challenges, to push themselves beyond their normal capacity and to immerse themselves fully in the diverse curriculum.

Kamoka is therefore uniquely positioned to promote respect, self-discipline, resilience, determination, stewardship, service and responsibility.

In this safe, caring and inspiring environment, the emotional and physical wellbeing of the students is seen to by the passionate staff at Kamoka, who ensure that each student’s experience at Bush School is a rewarding and positive one.