St Mark's School (Mbabane)

St Mark's School was founded in 1908 by then-Reverend (later Bishop) Christopher Charles Watts of the Anglican Diocese of then-Swaziland.[1] Reverend Watts was concerned by the lack of adequate education facilities for the children of members of the rapidly expanding colonial settler community in Eswatini.

A staunch believer in quality education, Watts sought to establish a school that would eventually acquire the prestige of other Anglican boarding schools in Southern Africa (such as Michaelhouse and St John's College) and would thus provide a viable alternative for children within reasonable traveling distance of Mbabane.

At the beginning of the school year in January 1908, with just four children who gathered in the ten-by-ten-foot room of the priest in charge of Mbabane, St Mark's School was born. From its establishment, enrollment grew rapidly and with a significant amount of support from the government of Swaziland and various private contributors the school quickly became established. Because of its significant successes especially in the Cape Matriculation Examination it quickly came to be widely regarded as the most prestigious school in the country, a position that would go unchallenged for almost six decades until the formation of Waterford Kamhlaba by Michael Stern in 1963.

At its establishment, 'Nisi Dominus' was adopted as the school motto. The motto is a summarization of the Latin translation of Psalm 127: "nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem frusta vigilavit qui custodit" meaning "unless the Lord builds the house, they work on a useless thing who build it; unless the Lord guards the community, he keeps watch in vain who guards it."

Notable St Mark's students include:

• Patrice Motsepe, executive chairman, African Rainbow Minerals Ltd (ARM); chairman of Harmony Gold (NYSE: HMY), deputy chairman Sanlam; president, Business Unity South Africa (BUSA); president, Chambers of Commerce and Industry South Africa (CHAMSA); president, Mamelodi Sundowns football club.
• Phuthuma Nhleko, group chief executive officer of MTN telecommunications group
• Richard E. Grant, British Actor and Director

as well as the following spouses to HM King Mswati III:

• Inkhosikati LaMbikiza (formerly Sibonelo Mngomezulu)
• former Inkhosikati LaHwala (Putsoana Hwala)
• Inkhosikati LaNtentesa (formerly Noliqhwa Ayanda Ntentesa)

• St Marks Alumni
• Old Marcians
• St Marks Facebook group