Exciting Global Partnership with Saint Mary's University in Canada

We were honoured to host Mr Ayo Makanjuola, CPA, FCCA, PMP, Vice President of Finance & Administration at Saint Mary's University (SMU) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on a recent visit to St Mary's DSG, Pretoria. His visit marks the commencement of a groundbreaking partnership between our school and one of Canada's most esteemed academic institutions.

During his time on campus, Mr Makanjuola met with members of the senior school leadership team, including Mrs Odelle Howard (Executive Head of School), Mrs Jomari Miller (Deputy Head of academics, Senior School), and Mrs Janine Purchase (Director of Arts and Culture), as well as our Advancement and Development team, Mrs Nosipho Nkosi and Ms Deanne Broughton. These engaging conversations highlighted our shared values around educational excellence, leadership development, and creating future-ready global citizens.

The visit also formalised an exciting new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between our two institutions. Under this agreement, every St Mary’s DSG girl who graduates after September 2024 and is accepted into an undergraduate programme at SMU will receive a tuition reduction of CAD 1,000 per course, amounting to more than CAD 30,000 over the course of a four-year degree.

This opportunity reflects St Mary's DSG's high standard of education and character formation. It also reaffirms the global relevance of our curriculum and the calibre of students we continue to produce. The tuition reduction is valid for full-time students in good academic standing. It will remain in effect for the entire duration of their studies, even if the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) ends before they complete their studies.

It is important to note that while this agreement does not guarantee automatic admission, it offers an exclusive benefit to St Mary's DSG students who meet SMU's entrance requirements, including English language proficiency. Students qualifying for this benefit will not be eligible for additional undergraduate scholarships from SMU, as this is a distinct and dedicated offering under the MOU.

This partnership strengthens our commitment to empowering our girls with international options and extending their learning journeys beyond our borders. It also deepens our strategic vision of preparing young women of integrity and courage to thrive in a global context.

We are excited about what this partnership will yield over the next five years and look forward to witnessing our Daughters of the King soar into international academic excellence.