Sonop Primary School

Sonop Primary School is a public primary school in Retief, Despatch, Eastern Cape, in the Nelson Mandela education district. The Department of Basic Education classifies it as a primary school. In 2025 it had 578 learners and 28 educators, about 20.6 learners per educator. That makes it larger than the average for public primary schools in Eastern Cape (244 learners). It is a quintile 5 school, meaning it serves the wealthiest 20% of communities according to the national poverty ranking. It is a fee-paying public school. Parents who cannot afford the fees can apply to the school for a full or partial exemption. As a Section 21 school, its governing body manages part of its own budget.

School facts

School type	Public primary school
Phase (DBE)	Primary School
Sector	Public
Quintile	5 of 5 (what is this?)
School fees	Fee-paying
Section 21	Yes
Learners (2025)	578
Educators (2025)	28
Learners per educator	20.6 (province average 28)
Urban or rural	Urban
EMIS number	200100715

Address and location

Street address	23 Bree Street,retief,despatch,6219
Postal address	P O Box 193, Despatch, 6219
Suburb / area	Retief
Town	Despatch
Province	Eastern Cape
Education district	Nelson Mandela
Municipality	Sundays River Valley Local Municipality
Former department	Cape Education Department(CED)

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Admissions

Applications for Grade R, Grade 1 and Grade 8 at public schools in Eastern Cape open the year before your child starts school. Contact the school for its application form and dates. Read our guide on applying for Grade 1 and Grade 8.