SOUTH Africa needs at least 3,000 more schools at an estimated cost of R66.6-billion to meet the demands of education.

This was said by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga at the launch of the 94 Projects for Madiba campaign, which is being held in celebration of former president Nelson Mandela's birthday.

Motshekga added that South Africa needed at least 60,000 classrooms.

The 94 Projects for Madiba campaign is part of the Nelson Mandela Day celebrations to be held on the former president's birthday on July 18, when he turns 94.

According to Motshekga, since 2000, 1206 schools and additional 38664 classrooms were built.

Water infrastructure was provided for 5,214 schools and 10,621 sanitation projects were completed. Despite all this, there are still challenges.

Pupils in 441 schools still attend classes in mud; wood; prefabricated and metal structures.

Another 514 schools have no sanitation and 14,989 still do not have libraries.

Motshekga said that the R66.6-billion price tag to improve infrastructure excludes preliminaries; escalations; professional fees and VAT.

"An additional estimate of R20-billion is required for the maintenance and repairs of existing infrastructure."

Motshekga said as part of the 94 Projects for Madiba campaign, the Basic Education Department would run the "94 Schools Project", to renovate and improve schools.

"Nationally we have identified 94 schools and we want the provincial departments and local municipalities to also identify 94 schools that can be renovated," Motshekga said.

The department selected 30 schools in Eastern Cape; eight in Free State; five in Gauteng; 17 in KwaZulu-Natal; 12 in Limpopo; 10 in Mpumalanga; five each in North West and Northern Cape and two in Western Cape.

Motshekga urged the private sector to get involved in helping fix schools.

"What is needed is private-public partnerships," Motshekga said.