By Charmaine Ndlela

For the first time, all 75 school districts across South Africa have recorded matric pass rates of 80% and above.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube announced the milestone during the official release of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results on Monday night in Johannesburg.

Gwarube said the achievement signals a significant shift in the education system, noting that performance gaps between districts and provinces are narrowing compared to previous years.

“District performance is one of our clearest quality indicators – because it shows whether improvement is spreading system-wide or remaining concentrated in pockets of strength,” she said.

She added that this marks a turning point where improvement is no longer limited to a few pockets of excellence but is being realised across all districts.

“[W]e see what is possible when schools are supported and districts are strong. Districts like uMkhanyakude and Umlazi remind us that outstanding outcomes can come from communities overwhelmed by lack and need,” she said.

Johannesburg West in Gauteng was the top-performing district, achieving a 96.20% pass rate. The district remained in first place nationally, after recording 97% in 2024.

Close behind was uMkhanyakude in KwaZulu-Natal with 93.63%, followed by the Overberg district in the Western Cape with 92.36%. Overberg was also listed among the most improved districts, with an increase of 4.06 percentage points year-on-year.

Despite the overall improvement, several districts ranked at the lower end of the national scale, although they still met the historic 80% benchmark.  

Amathole West in the Eastern Cape recorded the lowest pass rate nationally at 80.34%. It was followed by Alfred Nzo East, also in the Eastern Cape, with a pass rate of 81.13%, while OR Tambo Inland recorded 81.17%.

Nationally, the Matric Class of 2025 achieved a record 88% NSC pass rate — the highest in South Africa’s history.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lebone Rodah Mosima and Charmaine Ndlela

From R900 stationery lists to R4,500 registration fees, parents say the price of sending children back to school is spiralling.

The 2026 academic year officially starts in 24 hours, and families across South Africa are still cutting back, making plans to skip holidays, and turning to loans to cover basic schooling requirements.

The country’s official unemployment rate was 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025, meaning many families entered January with limited or unstable income.

At the same time, consumer inflation was 3.5% year-on-year in November 2025, with food and non-alcoholic beverages rising 4.4%, keeping basic shopping baskets elevated for many homes.

January also comes with a predictable cash-flow squeeze, as many salaried workers face a longer gap between December and January paydays.

Standard Bank has described this as a “pay gap” dynamic that forces people to stretch earlier December salaries over more days than usual.

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has repeatedly warned that January is a high-risk month for borrowing decisions, particularly after festive-season spending. It has urged consumers to borrow only from registered credit providers, and to avoid “unlawful” lenders that may skip affordability checks or use prohibited collection tactics.

For most parents, the reality of back-to-school expenses has now fully set in.

Stationery lists alone can consume a significant portion of household savings, while other costs include new school uniforms, registration fees, transport and school fees, particularly for children starting at new schools.

Inside Education spoke to several parents about their readiness for the school year. Many described the process as severely stressful and, in some cases, unaffordable.

A Gauteng parent whose child has been enrolled in Grade R said she fears her child may miss the first day of school because she cannot afford all the items on the stationery list.

Teboho Lizzy Lestoalo, a single mother of three from Johannesburg, said back-to-school expenses increase every year.

“Every year there’s always something new added to the stationery list. For my son, who attends a government school, registration and school fees alone cost about R1 500. Stationery is around R900, although textbooks are provided. For crèche, stationery is even more expensive — I spend about R1 500,” she said.

Lestoalo said uniforms add to the strain.

“You still have to buy five white T-shirts, trousers, socks, and sometimes a new school bag. I don’t really budget directly; I just try not to go overboard and cut unnecessary items,” she added.

The Competition Commission last week urged schools and governing bodies to end exclusive school-uniform supply deals that it said could push up prices for parents and shut out rival suppliers.

In 2021, the watchdog said it published procurement guidelines after receiving complaints dating back to 2010 that some schools had signed long-term exclusive agreements with selected uniform suppliers without transparent or competitive bidding, limiting competition and leaving parents with higher costs.

Between 2020 and 2025, the commission received 490 complaints about school uniforms and learning materials and resolved 465, it said, adding that it continued to work with the Department of Basic Education on a price-and-supplier monitoring tool expected to be rolled out to schools before the end of 2026.

Another Johannesburg-based mother of three, with two children in school — one entering Grade 3 and the other Grade 8 — told Inside Education she had to sacrifice holiday spending to cover school costs.

“I paid R900 for stationery for my second-born in December. I didn’t travel to the villages or buy Christmas clothes because I had to prioritise school expenses,” she said.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said she paid R4 500 in registration for her Grade 8 child and spent a further R1 000 on uniform items, including skirts, a jersey, a tie and socks. Transport and additional stationery costs further stretched the household budget.

Adelle Chittray, a mother of five, described the system as “insane”, citing high school fees and the price of uniforms.

“Teachers sometimes shame learners in front of others when they don’t have all the required items. That hurts the children emotionally,” she said.

Celia Makgabo Mokwele, a mother of three, said she is struggling to cope financially, especially with a child moving into high school.

“I have a child starting high school, which means a new uniform, new stationery, and school fees. His budget is about R6 000,” she said.

She said her primary school child’s fees and stationery amount to R2 300, while her tertiary student requires R10 600 a month for tuition and supplies.

“It’s tough. I’m still looking for placement for my high school learner as schools are opening next week,” Mokwele said.

Another parent, Nqobile Mabizela, who has children in Grades 3, 6 and 11, said holiday spending left the family under severe pressure.

“During the holidays, we spent money unnecessarily eating out and enjoying ourselves. Now we’re forced to cut back just to afford uniforms and stationery,” she said.

Mabizela said the family has prioritised essentials such as uniforms, stationery and school fees, while cutting back on other household expenses.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Thebe Mabanga

Basic education director-general Matanzima Mweli paid tribute to the matric Class of 2025 on Monday for its resilience, likening the cohort to an “abandoned Baobab tree”, known for its ability to withstand adverse conditions. The Class of 2025 achieved an 88% pass rate.

Mweli said that the group, which started school in 2014, had to transition to high school in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, when learning was disrupted.

Reduced contact time meant they spent 2021 to 2023 rebuilding exam muscle, or “catching up”, and have now emerged triumphant with a record pass rate.

There were 764,014 full-time candidates — about 40,000 more than in 2024 — while there were 137,776 part-time candidates, down from 155,948 the year before.

Mweli said the reduction in part-time candidates showed learners had faith in the system and preferred to repeat full-time to improve their chances of success.

Over the past five years, the education system has grown from supporting 12 million learners to 13.7 million, he said.

But the number of teachers and schools has not kept pace with this growth, with 613 new schools built over the period and 6,500 additional teachers, bringing the total to 474,432 teachers.

Mweli highlighted the increased uptake of technical subjects as a welcome development, with subjects such as technical graphics and design being taken up by more than 4,000 additional learners.

He noted that technical subjects are “for now and the future” and are no longer being viewed as being for those who are not academically gifted. He said that each of the country’s 889 circuits should have a technical high school.

But the results also showed a worrying trend: a decline in the number of passes by grant recipients.

The DG noted that learners reach matric at 18 — the age at which the child support grant falls away — and losing the grant at such a critical stage may prove decisive. He said 44,000 learners were no longer receiving the grant in their matric year.

To mitigate this, he suggested the criteria may have to be tweaked so that “as long as you are in school, you receive the grant,” which would require a “sacrifice” by the country’s taxpayers.

The matric exam is a complex national operation, second only to national and local government elections. About 11 million question papers are used across 6,948 centres.

Apart from the stress and trauma of events like Covid, other challenges the department had to deal with included water and electricity disruptions, inclement weather and protests, which were kept to a minimum last year.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said on Monday night that South Africa’s 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) result was evidence that “excellence is becoming a pattern”, but warned that deep, early learning reforms remain essential to sustain progress and close persistent inequalities.

Announcing the historic national pass rate of 88%, the highest on record and up from 87.3% in 2024, Gwarube said the results reflect a system that is stabilising, expanding participation and holding firm on integrity, while beginning a decisive shift toward quality learning from the earliest grades.

“The 2025 results show us that excellence is spreading into communities that have carried the heaviest burdens, but they also remind us that the number of learners enrolling should never run ahead of our ability to ensure that they perform well,” Gwarube said.

More than 656,000 learners passed the NSC in 2025, with KwaZulu-Natal emerging as the best-performing province at 90.6%, followed by the Free State (89.33%), Gauteng (89.06%), North West (88.49%) and the Western Cape (88.20%).

The Northern Cape recorded the biggest year-on-year improvement to 87.79%, while Mpumalanga (86.55%), Limpopo (86.15%) and the Eastern Cape (84.17%) completed the provincial spread.

For the first time, all 75 education districts achieved pass rates of 80% and above, a milestone Gwarube described as a key indicator that improvement was spreading system-wide.

Crucially, the minister emphasised that the headline numbers are underpinned by credibility.

The 2025 examinations, written by over 900 000 candidates at about 6,000 centres, were quality assured by Umalusi, with irregularities investigated and controls strengthened. “These results are earned, not gifted,” said Gwarube.

Beyond the aggregate pass rate, Gwarube pointed to gains in quality outcomes.

The percentage of Bachelor passes declined slightly, meaning Bachelor passes made up a slightly smaller share of all passes.

But the total number of candidates writing and passing increased significantly, because the 2025 matric class was the largest in South Africa’s history.

A further 28% achieved Diploma passes and 13.5% Higher Certificate passes.

Notably, over 66% of Bachelor passes were achieved by learners from no-fee schools, reinforcing the minister’s message that poverty need not determine destiny.

At the same time, she cautioned against complacency, particularly in gateway subjects.

Mathematics participation increased but performance declined, with the pass rate falling from 69% to 64%; accounting dropped from 81% to 78%, while physical science edged up to 77% from 76%.

Fewer distinctions were recorded in these subjects than in 2024.

“Growing participation without the foundations to support mastery risks widening access while weakening quality,” Gwarube warned.

The minister situated these outcomes within a broader reform agenda launched over the past year. Since assuming office, the department has stabilised governance, rebuilt trust with provinces and unions, protected exam integrity and shifted from crisis management to long-term reform, she said.

Central to that shift is a focus on early learning illustrated by expanded early childhood development (ECD) registration, which exceeded a 10,000-centre target to reach more than 33,000 registered sites, enabling over a million children to access subsidies for nutrition and quality learning.

Other achievements include the release of the Funda Uphumelele national reading survey, expansion of mother tongue-based bilingual education, the first bilingual Grade 4 assessments in mathematics and natural science, an updated catalogue of learning materials for Grades 1–3, and a review of the teaching post allocation formula for the first time in over two decades.

Teacher development has been strengthened through targeted Funza Lushaka bursaries, while learner well-being has been prioritised through the school nutrition programme, strengthened safety protocols with SAPS, and a planned anti-bullying campaign in early 2026.

Looking ahead, Gwarube outlined priorities for 2026: accelerating early learning quality and access, including a new target of 250,000 ECD spaces; deepening mastery in gateway subjects with earlier intervention; finalising the review of White Paper 6 on inclusive education, streamlining reporting to protect teaching time; and addressing financial sustainability across provinces following a first-ever analysis that flagged seven provinces as at risk.

She was candid about the remaining challenges.

Learner retention drops sharply between Grades 10 and 12; boys are increasingly underrepresented in matric cohorts; mathematics uptake remains low at 34%; and social protection gaps affect performance, with learners whose grants lapse at 18 performing worse.

Fiscal constraints, she warned, could undermine early learning, nutrition and support if austerity measures are applied without care.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna and Thebe Mabanga

Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane has said that South Africa’s matric pass benchmark is low because of slack governance, and renewed calls for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass threshold to be raised to 50%.

“The reality is that South African does not have a money problem. It has a governance problem. If we are are going to fix the 30% pass mark issue, we need to make sure that everyone passes at 50%,” he said.

Maimane was speaking to Inside Education on the sidelines of the NSC results announcement in Johannesburg on Monday evening.

BOSA has been campaigning against the widely cited “30% pass mark” for the NSC, saying it entrenches low standards, fuels unemployment and leaves many learners underprepared for higher education and the job market.

Maimane said education reform should also focus on infrastructure and digital access at schools.

“The second thing we have to ensure is infrastructure build. There are schools that still do not have libraries or digital technology.”  

He also called for the upskilling and development of teachers to keep pace with modern teaching methods shaped by technology and digitisation.

“We need to develop our teachers so that they catch up to the future world, otherwise we are really teaching young people for unemployment,” Maimane said.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Director-General Matanzi Mweli rejected the claim that 30% is the pass mark, with Gwarube saying that leaders “should not use sloganeering and populism”.

Gwarube said the marks system is designed to accommodate learners with different aspirations, noting that not all learners aim to enter university and pursue degrees.

Mweli also rejected the notion, saying the pass mark for key subjects and a learner’s home language is 40%, while 30% applies to other, non-core subjects. He said he welcomed parliament’s decision to reject a motion to debate the issue, saying it should be left to education experts.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Grey High signed off the 2026 Grey Festival in emphatic fashion, completing an unbeaten campaign with a tense three-wicket victory over St Andrew’s School in a clash that pitted the tournament’s two undefeated sides against each other on the Pollock Oval.

With both teams having won their opening two fixtures, the final match carried the feel of a decider.

The Grey Festival is an annual multi-sport schools tournament hosted by Grey College in Bloemfontein, bringing together leading South African and invited international schools to compete across codes such as cricket, rugby and hockey.

It is regarded as one of the premier fixtures on the school sports calendar, showcasing elite youth talent and fostering traditional rivalries in a high-performance environment.

Grey High won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision that initially appeared sound on a surface that had offered value for runs across the festival.

However, St Andrew’s seamer Matthew Marshbank had other ideas and produced a devastating opening spell that swung momentum sharply in the visitors’ favour.

Marshbank ripped through the top order, dismissing three of the first four Grey High batsmen for ducks.

His 3/11 from four overs left the hosts reeling early and placed immediate pressure on their middle order to rebuild.

That responsibility fell to Schalk van Rensburg and Grove du Preez, who briefly threatened to turn the innings around with a promising partnership.

Both batsmen looked positive and intent on counterattacking, but luck deserted St Andrew’s at a crucial stage.

Two sharp run-outs ended their resistance, with Van Rensburg departing for 12 and Du Preez for a top score of 22.

Once that stand was broken, the innings unravelled quickly.

Grey High’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure in the field, and St Andrew’s were bowled out for 92 in 19.3 overs.

Erhard Barends once again underlined his consistency with the ball, claiming 3/9 in his four overs, while Nikhil Sukraj chipped in with an economical 2/19.

Chasing a modest target, Grey High were made to work far harder than expected.

Regular wickets kept the contest alive deep into the innings, but Connor Parry anchored the chase with a vital 29, the highest individual score of the match.

With tension mounting, the hosts held their nerve to reach 93/7 with four balls to spare, sealing the win and confirming a flawless festival record.

Meanwhile, Grey College edged out the Namibia Invitational XI in a thrilling T20 encounter at Victoria Park High.

Namibia bucked the festival trend by opting to field after winning the toss, and Grey College responded with a disciplined batting effort to post 153/7.

Aiden Dodd was the cornerstone of the innings, striking six fours in a composed 53 off 46 deliveries from number four.

Daniel Hattingh and Bergh Vorster added valuable support, while Dan Brassell was the standout bowler for Namibia with figures of 2/17.

The Namibian reply was led by captain and opener Adriaan Coetzee, whose aggressive 54 off 40 balls, including three fours and four sixes, kept the chase firmly on track.

Luca Micillo also contributed with a brisk 30, but Grey College’s bowlers shared the wickets at crucial moments.

Vorster’s tidy 2/24 proved particularly influential as Namibia were bowled out for 144 with seven balls remaining, handing Grey College a narrow nine-run victory.

At Pearson High, Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the festival.

After winning the toss and sending Pearson in to bat, Volkies tore through the top order to reduce the hosts to 47/8.

A spirited unbeaten ninth-wicket stand of 52 between Connor Thomas and Jayden Warden rescued Pearson to 99/8, with Warden striking a heroic 30 not out.

The chase was equally nerve-racking. Schalk Pienaar’s rapid 28 provided early impetus, but Sulaymaan Gangat’s outstanding spell of 3/5 dragged the contest down to the wire.

Volkies eventually scraped home on 100/9 with two balls remaining to win by one wicket.

Northwood School rounded off the day with a convincing 48-run win over Selborne College on the Old Grey Oval.

Batting first, Northwood posted 145/5, with Luc Boyall falling just two runs short of a half-century and Ross McGlashan contributing a fluent 41.

Selborne started their reply brightly through openers Josh Wilkie and Thomas Lyon, but a collective bowling effort led by Trevor van Vollenstee’s superb 3/5 saw them dismissed for 97 in 18.2 overs, capping an action-packed conclusion to a memorable Grey Festival.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

Sixty-three scholar transport vehicles have failed safety inspections in KwaZulu-Natal so far, provincial transport MEC Siboniso Duma said on Monday, as officials intensified checks ahead of the reopening of schools on Wednesday.

The failed vehicles included 43 buses and 20 minibuses.

Duma said provincial inspectors from the Road Traffic Inspectorate and Public Transport Service’s Operation Shanela began inspecting the scholar transport fleet on Friday and continued through the weekend.

“Our main focus is to ensure the safety of about 77,000 pupils in close to 400 schools,” he said.

The inspection programme is covering more than 26 satellite stations across the province and is checking driver permits, tyres, brakes, seatbelts, suspension and the overall condition of vehicles.

Scholar transport is a subsidised programme intended to help eligible learners – particularly those who live far from school — get to and from public schools safely, in line with the country’s National Learner Transport Policy.

By Monday, a total of 198 vehicles had been inspected, including 143 buses and 48 minibuses.

“The owners have been instructed to attend to all mechanical failures as stipulated in the contract with the Department of Transport,” Duma said.

He said the inspections would continue after schools reopen.

“We wish to confirm that the inspection will proceed until the re-opening of schools and beyond.”

Duma said the Road Traffic Inspectorate and Operation Shanela would work with other law enforcement agencies and municipal traffic departments to ensure safe transport, and this would include spot checks.

“In addition, we will announce more safety measures for private scholar transport once all consultations have been finalised with key stakeholders.”

He said the province also planned regulatory reforms for the private scholar transport industry.

“As we announced toward the end of last year, we will be introducing reforms such as strengthening legislation governing the private scholar transport industry, with clear provisions on driver vetting, vehicle standards, and operational oversight.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Marcus Moloko

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has called for a bold reimagining of South Africa’s education system, urging government, industry, and communities to embrace technology and innovation as the foundation for future learning.

Speaking at the MTN Innovation Centre in Gauteng on Monday, where the Department of Basic Education, in partnership with MTN, hosted a celebratory breakfast honouring the country’s top-performing matriculants, Lesufi said education remained the cornerstone of society as it touched every household across the country.

“Education is key. There’s no single parent that does not have a child in the education system, or who has not had a child go through it. It’s paramount, it’s very, very important,” he said.

Lesufi said that Gauteng, as the economic hub of South Africa, must lead the way in transforming education.

He warned that without creativity and innovation, the country risked stagnation.

“The Stone Age didn’t end because that generation ran out of stones. It ended because new ideas developed. And it is these new ideas that we must plant within the education system,” he said.

Highlighting the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), Lesufi said that learners must be equipped to use the technology for meaningful purposes.

“We can’t allow these kids to use artificial intelligence for TikTok. We must allow it to be used for the economy and educational development,” he said.

He called for flexibility within government and the education system to integrate AI into classrooms, cautioning against delaying its adoption.

“It’s here, it’s real, it’s surrounding us. We can’t avoid it. But we can’t wait for the next 17 years and then scratch our heads to ask ‘how do we allow artificial intelligence?’”

He painted a scenario of classrooms where technology and data drive learning, rather than outdated struggles over basic infrastructure.

“These children must not fight for water and electricity. These children must not fight for better sewerage in our schooling system. That’s old. These children must fight for data and free Wi-Fi in our schools. That’s the future we need,” he said.

He urged industries such as MTN and other technology providers to partner with government in ensuring connectivity and digital access for learners.

“The industries that are in that sector must come on board and assist us to do this,” Lesufi added.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has hailed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Class of 2025 as “the pride of the nation”, using a keynote address at the Top Achievers’ Breakfast to emphasise perseverance, character, and the value of excellence beyond examination results.

Gwarube was speaking on Monday morning at the MTN Innovation Centre in Gauteng, where the Department of Basic Education, in partnership with MTN, hosted a celebratory breakfast honouring the country’s top-performing matriculants.

The event formed part of the official programme for the release of the 2025 NSC results and recognised learners from across all nine provinces, including those who achieved outstanding results despite significant adversity.

The event was attended by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Deputy Minister of Basic Education Reginah Mhaule, MTN Chairperson Yolanda Cuba, senior education officials, sponsors, parents, teachers, and the top achievers of the Class of 2025.

In her address, Gwarube framed her message around an ancient Greek myth of a man condemned by the gods to push a boulder up a steep hill, only for it to roll back down each time he reached the summit.

While the story is traditionally interpreted as a symbol of endless suffering and futility, the minister offered a more hopeful reading.

“[T]he eternal optimist in me believes there is another way to read that story. I don’t believe that man was unhappy. I believe he found meaning, even joy, in the pursuit itself. In striving. Because in the pursuit of excellence, in the act of giving your best, there is dignity, purpose, and yes, happiness,” Gwarube said.

She said the story mirrored the experiences of the learners being honoured, many of whom had faced pressure, setbacks, self-doubt, long study hours and personal challenges on their path to success.

“That is why this story matters today. Because every learner we celebrate this morning knows something about pushing a boulder uphill. About late nights, early mornings, setbacks, pressure, self-doubt, and the quiet decision, again and again, to keep going. And today, we gather not just to celebrate the summit you reached, but the pursuit of excellence that brought you here,” she said.

The minister paid tribute to parents and guardians, acknowledging the sacrifices many families had made to support their children’s education.

She said the success of top achievers was inseparable from the discipline, encouragement and belief cultivated at home.

“Behind every high-achieving learner is a home that made sacrifices. A home that chose discipline over comfort, encouragement over despair. You carried emotional, financial, and psychological weight so that your children could focus on learning,” she said.

Turning to teachers, Gwarube described them as “the quiet architects of excellence” who continue to uphold standards despite pressure on the education system.

She praised their commitment to nurturing potential and refusing to give up on learners who may have already lost confidence in themselves.

“In a system often under strain, you continue to show up with commitment, creativity and courage. The achievements we celebrate today are a testament to your professionalism. Without excellent teachers, we cannot get excellent learners,” she said.

Addressing the top achievers directly, the minister said their academic success had expanded what was possible not only for themselves, but also for their families and communities.

However, she cautioned that the moment marked a beginning rather than an end.

“This is not the end of your journey. It is the beginning of a new climb. There will be other hills, other moments when progress feels slow or setbacks feel heavy. Do not be discouraged when the climb becomes steep again,” Gwarube said.

She urged learners to carry forward the habits that produced their success, saying South Africa needed not only their intelligence, but also their character and integrity.

Gwarube also expressed gratitude to MTN for hosting the event and for its continued partnership with the DBE, saying the collaboration symbolised investment in the country’s future.

“Your commitment sends a powerful message to our learners that the private sector believes in them, believes in public education, and believes in South Africa’s future,” she said.

Special recognition was given to learners who achieved excellence despite facing hardship.

Gwarube said their stories demonstrated that success was not defined by the absence of difficulty, but by the refusal to be shaped by it.

“You did not abandon the climb when the boulder rolled back. You found strength and purpose in the pursuit of excellence itself,” she said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) said that its Class of 2025 achieved an overall pass rate of 98.31% in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, slightly lower than the 98.47% recorded in 2024.

The mainly private-school cohort’s bachelor’s pass rate — indicating eligibility for degree study — was 89.12%, compared with 89.37% a year earlier.

IEB chief executive Confidence Dikgole said small shifts in aggregate outcomes were expected as the system expands.

“What is important is that performance levels remain consistently high, standards are maintained, and access to degree study remains strong.”

The IEB administered the NSC exams to 17,414 candidates (16,063 full-time and 1,351 part-time).

Out of the nine provinces in the country, the highest number of pupils were concentrated in three provinces.

Gauteng had 10 421 pupils sit for the exams, compared to 9567 in 2024, by far the largest number. In KwaZulu-Natal, 2 448 pupils sat the exam, and in the Western Cape, 2 108 pupils sat the exam.

The IEB said it recognised 161 pupils in its outstanding achievement category and 125 in its commendable achievement category.

INSIDE EDUCATION