Learning to swim is a crucial life skill, especially if you spend weekends around the water with your family. Finding the right instructor makes a massive difference in how quickly someone builds confidence in the pool. 

Luckily, the city has plenty of excellent schools that focus on water safety and proper technique. We’ve put together a list of the best swimming lessons in Johannesburg to help you choose the right fit.

If you want to practice your new strokes outside of class time, visiting some of the best swimming pools in the city is an excellent way to speed up your progress. Now read on!

Lesson Type	Frequency	Average Monthly Cost Range
Group (Kids/Toddlers)	1x per week (30 mins)	R300 – R920
Group (Kids/Toddlers)	2x per week (30 mins)	R500 – R1,600
Adult Group Classes	1x per week (45 mins)	R545 – R1,650
Private Lessons (1-on-1)	1x per week (30-45 mins)	R725 – R1,800
Home/At-Residence Private	1x per week (Private coach)	R1,700+

1. Little Dolphins Swim School

Website: https://little-dolphins.co.za/

Address: 20 Krans Street, Linksfield

Contact: 083 784 3399 (Bookings/Jane) / 083 783 3399 (Management/Daniel)

Hours: Monday-Friday, 12:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Saturday, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM 

At Little Dolphins Swim School, the setup is all about helping swimmers build confidence. As they improve, they slowly move into bigger pools, making each step feel like a real achievement.

You can really see the growth because they have six heated pools onsite. 

When we took my nephew for his free water assessment, we noticed how patient the instructors were as they figured out the best class for his comfort and skill level.

Moreover, you’ll love the shuttle service that picks kids up right from school. Another thoughtful touch is the free CPR courses they host twice each season, helping families feel ready for anything.

The only thing missing is private lessons, since all their swim classes run in 30-minute group formats. 

Truly amazing at teaching

We’ve had such a wonderful experience with this swim school. In just a few months, my daughter has made incredible progress and has gone from being a complete beginner to feeling confident and comfortable in the water. She absolutely loves her lessons and looks forward to them every week. A special thank you to Jane, who has been patient, encouraging, and truly amazing at teaching her from scratch. Highly recommend! 

• Aly Sanders, Google Review

Little Dolphins is a great swimming school

Little Dolphins is a great swimming school. Jane is both patient and so caring to the little ones that she teachers and as a great business owner you can see her employees follow suit.

My daughter has been struggling with swimming, and Jane mention that we should try going to get an assessment at a Physio, as she knew my daughter was at OT. Her guidance has helped enormously. With help of Physio, OT is no longer required and as her core is much stronger now within two weeks we have seen a huge difference in her swimming and confidence. 

• Daniela Sanchez, Google Review

2. Aquatic Zone Houghton Swimming School

Website: https://aquaticzone.co.za/houghton

Address: 14 Quintondale Rd, Cheltondal

Contact: 083 427 7497 / [email protected]

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM | Saturday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Working parents often struggle to squeeze in extra activities in the morning, but Aquatic Zone Houghton Swimming School solves this with a dedicated shuttle program.

They fetch children directly from local nursery schools using a private bus driven by someone holding a Professional Driving Permit (PDP). 

Their Aquatots Swim Program targets infants and toddlers up to 36 months, using songs and games in a shallow teaching pool. Adults can also sign up for focused sessions ranging from beginner water confidence to advanced stroke correction. 

But keep in mind that the nursery school program using shuttle service only applies to kids who are fully potty-trained and at least three years old.

Wonderful and safe environment

Amazing swim school with a great team of teachers.

Seeing Teacher Karin has become the highlight of my daughter’s week. Her love and passion shines through, creating the most wonderful and safe environment for all those she teaches. 

• Naadira Chothia, Google Review

I had absolute confidence in their swimming abilities

My children have been at Aquatots since my first born was 9 months old. He is now nearly 8 years old. Both children were completely water safe long before they turned 2, they never needed arm bands, and I had absolute confidence in their swimming abilities. We have spent many happy years with Jean, Yana and Amy, and their investment in teaching children how to be safe and technically skilled swimmers is unrivalled. Thank you Aquatots! 

• Jozi Dance Studios, Google Review

3. Super Star Swim School Paulshof

Website: http://www.superstarswimming.co.za/

Address: 7 Hluhluwe Rd, Paulshof, Sandton

Contact: 082 772 5188 / [email protected]

Hours: Monday-Friday, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Saturday, 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM 

Super Star Swim School understands that kids with unique needs need extra patience, and that’s exactly what they provide. Nicki, who runs the center, has built a team that uses a special swimming program based on RAID.

It’s an aquatic training method designed to help every child get the attention they need. One parent told us her son did so well there because the instructors let him learn at his own speed, which gave him the confidence to keep going.

Along with their special needs classes, they also have energetic lessons for adults and gentle baby sessions filled with songs and games. 

Every class is held in their indoor, heated pools, as well, so nobody has to worry about bad weather getting in the way. 

Just keep in mind their Aqua Fitness classes run only in the mornings, so plan if you’re interested in those.

Our 3-year old is already swimming independently

Both our girls are attending Super Star, with amazing results and great enjoyment for them both. They are learning really quickly and our 3-year old is already swimming independently (on our watch of course!)

The staff are incredibly friendly. They are still very strict with safety protocols, especially when it comes to lightning.

Highly recommended! 

• Rian Lauwrens, Google Review

She is gentle and kind

Grace is an exceptional swim teacher. She is absolutely amazing with all the kids she teaches in the pool. She is gentle and kind. She speaks to the kids with so much love and kindness. Her approach to teaching is pure gold. We love her so much. My 4 year old enjoys learning swimming with her. Grace is the BEST! 

• Precious Shabangu, Google Review

4. Baby Fishes Swim School Bedfordview

Website: https://littlefishes.co.za/baby-fishes

Address: 80A Van Der Linde Rd, Bedfordview

Contact: 084 863 4051 / [email protected]

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Friday, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Saturday, 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Diving into a large pool can easily overwhelm a baby, so Baby Fishes Swim School Bedfordview created a dedicated space just for them. Their facility operates at a warm 32 to 34 degrees Celsius and features custom grip rails for infants and toddlers. 

You can even find changerooms located directly inside the pool area, keeping kids out of the cold wind after their session.

Every instructor holds a Todswim accreditation from Swim South Africa (SSA), ensuring they know exactly how to handle tiny swimmers. They actively incorporate sensory techniques to help infants develop core and grip strength early on. 

However, this facility strictly caters to babies six months and older, so parents with younger newborns will need to wait. 

The water is nice and warm too

So happy with Baby Fishes swimming school! My 2-year-old enjoys each lesson and they really make it fun, while still teaching key skills. The instructor is very professional and patient.The water is nice and warm too.  Highly recommended! 

• Amy Van der Merwe, Google Review

The teachers are kind and patient

Baby Fishes is such a wonderful swim school. My first born started there at 8 months and is very confident and can swim on his own without any floatation devices at 3.5 years. The teachers are kind and patient. They allow children to progress through levels and tailor the lessons to the child’s ability while gently pushing them to achieve more but never forcing. The pool is warm and clean. The lessons incorporate pool safety and learning through play. Would highly recommend. 

• Nabeela Arbee, Google Review

5. Aqua Warriors Swimming School

Website: https://aquawarriors.co.za/

Address: 370 Rifel Range Rd, Haddon

Contact: 084 589 9299

Hours: Monday & Wednesday, 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Tuesday & Thursday, 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Friday, 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Saturday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Finding a place that can take a toddler all the way to competitive racing is difficult. Luckily, Aqua Warriors Swimming School offers exactly that progression pipeline. 

Operating out of the Frances Vorwerg School, they use a massive 6-by-25-meter indoor heated pool for year-round training. Swimmers can start with basic lessons and eventually move straight into competitive squad coaching without changing facilities.

They employ exclusively Swim South Africa (SSA) accredited coaches to maintain high instruction standards across all levels. 

Triathletes and competitive adult swimmers can also join targeted classes to improve their stroke technique and endurance. 

But you should note that their weekday classes only open in the mid-to-late afternoon, leaving zero options for morning lessons.

The facility is clean, safe, and well-maintained

Our son David attended Aqua Warriors Swimming School last summer and we couldn’t be happier with the experience! Rene and other instructors are knowledgeable, patient, and make learning fun. The facility is clean, safe, and well-maintained!

David is looking forward to resuming his lessons every week!! 

• Frank Robinson, Google Review

Dedicated, professional, qualified teachers

If you are looking for a Swimming School who has dedicated, professional, qualified teachers/coach who have the swimmers best interests at heart and teach children from

learning how to swim to swimming provincially then you need to contact Aqua Warriors. 

• sue crawford, Google Review