Humility has long been synonymous with Pretoria Boys’ High
What makes Pretoria Boys High School such a likeable institution is that it does not appear to be trying too hard to be liked at all. Spend time on campus and the impression is immediate: this is a beautiful school that largely sells itself. The facilities are outstanding, the environment polished, and the overall product so compelling that one quickly understands why it has become such an enduring choice for families.
Geography has undoubtedly worked in its favour. While prestigious academic rivals such as Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Hoërskool Menlopark sit virtually on its doorstep, both are Afrikaans-medium institutions. That leaves Boys’ High without a true like-for-like enrolment competitor in its immediate vicinity. Unlike semi-private schools forced into constant competition with nearby English-speaking giants such as King Edward VII School, Maritzburg College or Wynberg Boys’ High School, Pretoria Boys’ High has not historically needed to sharpen its claws or aggressively market itself.
As a result, there is an unmistakable ease about the institution. It projects the confidence of a school whose pupils are perceived to be there because they genuinely want to be, rather than because they were actively recruited or financially incentivised. Had there been a major English rival a few kilometres away, Boys’ High may well have evolved into a more overtly competitive brand, constantly trying to prove itself. Instead, it has been able to allow its reputation to form organically.
That has cultivated something increasingly rare in elite school circles: modesty. It is reinforced by a lineage of respected headmasters, strong senior staff and a community of everyday parents and old boys who, knowingly or not, act as ambassadors for the school in everyday social settings. Humility is not always the first quality associated with schools in this bracket, but it is one that sits comfortably alongside Pretoria Boys’ High.
Into that culture steps 2005 old boy Chris Oldnall, now the school’s deputy headmaster. He is unlikely ever to rival alumni such as Elon Musk in terms of global fame, but his significance lies elsewhere. Oldnall has become something of a school-created public personality: articulate, confident and undeniably charismatic, with a more flamboyant public presence than one might traditionally associate with Boys’ High.
His rise is fascinating because it hints at what could become a future school marketing model. Rather than relying solely on famous alumni to champion an institution, schools may consider looking inward, using social media to cultivate recognisable internal personalities who can humanise and promote the brand. In that sense, Oldnall may represent an early example of a new approach — an authentic school figure whose public profile could also become a valuable marketing asset.
That does not make the strategy cynical. Pretoria Boys’ High’s more recent efforts to improve sporting competitiveness, including broadening access and creating opportunities for talented underprivileged boys, carry both genuine social value and strategic upside. Like many leading schools, there is a mutual benefit at play: students receive access to a premium education, while the institution strengthens itself competitively.
Yet in a world increasingly shaped by personal branding and social media, there is an obvious balancing act. Boys’ High’s challenge will be ensuring that the prominence of one personality never begins to overshadow the broader institutional identity. The school’s greatest asset remains its understated culture. If that ever gives way to a perception that the brand is becoming an extension of one extroverted figure, it risks undermining the very humility that makes Pretoria Boys’ High so widely admired in the first place.
Media Release compliments of Pretoria Boys’ High:
South African Swimmers Complete Historic Trilogy Ocean Challenge with First-Ever Solo Double False Bay Crossing
Chris Oldnall, Pretoria Boys High Deputy Headmaster of Sport, and Peet Crowther, Pretoria Boys High alumnus, have completed the final and most demanding leg of the Trilogy Ocean Challenge: a brutal 66km Double False Bay Crossing.
The swim, completed from Rooi-Els to Miller’s Point and back, marks a historic moment in South African open-water swimming. The Double False Bay Crossing has never before been completed as a solo open-water swim, making this achievement one for the history books.
This final swim brings to a close the extraordinary Trilogy Ocean Challenge, a 152km extreme open-water swim series across some of the most unforgiving waters in the Western Cape. Across all three swims, Oldnall and Crowther have taken on freezing Atlantic conditions, powerful currents, long hours of physical exhaustion, mental isolation, and the relentless unpredictability of the ocean.
The Trilogy Ocean Challenge included:
Leg 1: The Single 33km False Bay Crossing (2024)
Leg 2: The first-ever solo swim from Robben Island to Dassen Island, covering 53km (2025)
Leg 3: The historic 66km Double False Bay Crossing (2026- exact time and distance to follow)
Together, these three swims represent far more than a test of endurance. They are a powerful symbol of courage, resilience, brotherhood, and purpose. Behind the achievement stands a remarkable community who helped make this historic challenge possible. While Chris and Peet were the men in the water, they were carried by the quiet sacrifices and support of their families, loved ones, boat crews, Pretoria Boys High School, the Old Boys network and everyone who stood behind the mission. This was never the journey of two swimmers alone, but a collective effort driven by purpose, belief and legacy.
The second leg of the challenge already made history when Crowther and Oldnall became the first swimmers to complete the brutal 53km solo route from Robben Island to Dassen Island. Peet finished in 18:23:20.37, with Chris completing the swim in 20:26:21.37.
Now, with the completion of the Double False Bay Crossing, the Trilogy Ocean Challenge stands as one of the most remarkable endurance achievements in South African open-water swimming.
But the true purpose of the challenge reaches beyond the water.
The Trilogy Ocean Challenge was undertaken in support of the South African Hall of Fame Legacy Project, an initiative that gives talented young boys with limited resources the opportunity to attend Pretoria Boys High School. To date, 57 scholars have been supported through this life-changing programme.
“This challenge was never only about swimming,” said Johnny Burger, Chairman of The South African Hall of Fame. “It was about using human endurance to create opportunity. Chris and Peet have shown what is possible when courage is connected to purpose.”
Through every kilometre, every cold-water battle, and every hour spent in the ocean, Oldnall and Crowther carried a bigger mission: to help unlock futures for young South Africans with talent, potential, and dreams that deserve a chance.
The completion of the Trilogy Ocean Challenge is a celebration of human spirit, South African grit, and the lasting impact of legacy-driven action.
More information about the challenge and its impact can be found here:
https://halloffame.co.za/initiatives/legacy-quest/trilogy-ocean-challenge/
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