In 1999, there were two black members of the teaching staff, Miss Christina Gwavu and Mrs Lindy Siyengo. Both taught isiXhosa. There were 60 black (‘black’ as inclusive of all people of colour) students in the College (out of 659), and 50 (out of 562) in the Prep and Pre-Prep. Following the transition from apartheid to the democratic state, it was generally acknowledged that the school should be employing more black teachers, and including more black students – both aspirations were more easily said than achieved. There were some tentative moves to employ more black teachers by offering prospective black teachers positions as ‘interns’ in the expectation that they would remain in the independent school movement as least. The first black teacher other than the language teachers was Thando Sikiti, who had been an intern for two years and then became a member of the permanent staff. He left after two years to go into commerce. The number of black students largely depended on bursaries or scholarships being available. By 2009, there were 123 black students (out of 745) in the College and 124 (out of 582) at the Prep. In 2009, there were six black teachers (a further 3 had been appointed and had already left the school to go to promotion posts elsewhere, or into commerce) out of a total of 67 permanent teachers in the College.

The key strategic target during this time went under the label of ‘Diversity’. Arising from the 2010 conference, increasing diversity was advanced as a necessity for the school’s continued growth and accommodation in the South Africa that was emerging after the democratic government of 1994. The word ‘transformation’ was applied more to the effects of the laptop project on the academic curriculum – ‘diversity’ was the term used where the focus was for the school’s general demographic. What did diversity imply? The targets that were set aimed to reflect the composition of the South African nation, to enrich and broaden the school, to set up life experience of encountering diversity as the norm, and to attract to the school fee-paying black families to secure the school’s future. There were three main components of Diversity planning – staff and pupil demographics, activities within the school to bring about new mindsets, and reaching out to all the local communities to get understanding and buy-in. Diversity targets were set for both numbers and for attitudes.

The Diocesan College Magazine report for Sep 2003 stated: “The progress to date is that a draft Diversity statement has been prepared and is now being discussed at all levels of the school. Aspects of Diversity, which the School must address to start the process of increasing Diversity at the School, include the demographics of the School, questions of racism, culture, socio-economic level, gender, language etc.” Even given the complexity of the issue, this is surely slow progress.

Enrolment procedures were adapted to try to bring in as many boys of colour to the school, and all advertisements for teaching staff were clear that preference would be given for affirmative action appointments. It was a slow process. Attention was also given to activities to produce new mindsets regarding diversity for staff and boys. Interact was a central organisation that exposed Bishops boys to other schools and institutions. The Bishops Interact Society was formed in 1982, linked with Rondebosch Rotary, with its motto of ‘service above self’. The service opportunities created for the boys were intended to challenge and transform their attitudes towards their fellow South Africans of different racial, cultural, religious and socio-economic groups.