The Private Hotel School (TPHS): Courses, Prospectus and Applications for 2027

The Private Hotel School (TPHS) is a South African hospitality school that trained students for hotel, restaurant and events careers. It was started in Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands in the mid-2000s by founder and principal Susina Jooste. ADvTECH, the JSE-listed private education group, gives 2006 as its founding year. The school joined ADvTECH around 2017 to 2018 and in August 2018 opened a second campus on the Keyes Art Mile in Rosebank, Johannesburg, in the same building as its sister brand Capsicum Culinary Studio.

What it was known for

TPHS built its name on small classes, practical training in working hospitality settings, and international links. Past qualifications included:

- a Higher Certificate in Hospitality Management
- an Advanced Certificate in Hospitality Management (NQF 6)
- a Diploma in Event Management (NQF 6)
- an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Education, which the school described as the only one of its kind in South Africa
- an Occupational Chef certificate

The school was accredited by the American Hospitality Academy (AHA) and International Hotel Management Schools (IHMS), was a City & Guilds approved centre and had a cooperation agreement with Stellenbosch University. Students could do an optional third year in the USA and paid internships abroad, and graduates could enter the final year of a BA in Hotel and Hospitality Management at the Business and Hotel Management School (BHMS) in Lucerne, Switzerland.

What has changed

From February 2021, ADvTECH offered its hospitality programmes through the new IIE School of Hospitality and Service Management (IIE HSM), which ran from the same Stellenbosch and Rosebank sites under the same managing director. In September 2025 ADvTECH merged IIE HSM with Varsity College, IIE MSA and Vega into one institution called Emeris. The old TPHS website (privatehotelschool.co.za) could not be reached during this research, and the older privatehotelschool.com site only shows archived pages.

Current programmes

The hospitality qualifications that carry on this work are awarded by The Independent Institute of Education (IIE), which is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training:

- IIE Higher Certificate in Hospitality Management (NQF 5, one year)
- IIE Bachelor of Hospitality Management (NQF 7, three years)

Both are full-time contact programmes with work-integrated learning. They are offered at the Rosebank campus in Johannesburg and at other Emeris campuses such as Ruimsig and Cape Town.

Fees and funding

For 2027, first-year tuition on the Rosebank, Ruimsig and Cape Town fee schedule is R48 330 for the higher certificate and R75 360 for the degree if paid upfront. Payment over 10 or 24 months is available, and new students pay a R3 000 pre-registration fee that is deducted from the total.

How to apply

Applications are made online through Emeris. You will need a certified copy of your ID and your school results. The higher certificate needs an NSC with a higher certificate pass, while the degree needs a bachelor's pass. Speak to an Emeris advisor at the Rosebank campus if you are unsure which programme fits you.

Useful documents (official PDFs):
- emeris fee schedule 2027 dbn cpt pta ruimsig rosebank final: https://www.emeris.ac.za/media/arkoewgi/emeris-fee-schedule-2027-dbn_cpt_pta_ruimsig_rosebank-final.pdf