Picture: Some of 2025 NSC top achievers
By REGINALD KANYANE
13 January 2026- The African National Congress (ANC) has congratulated the Matric Class of 2025 following the release of the National Senior Certificate results, which reflect a historic national pass rate of 88%, the highest in South Africa’s democratic history. The former liberation movement said this achievement surpasses the 87.3% recorded in 2024, and confirms a steady upward trajectory in the performance of the public education system.
The ANC national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu said this milestone is a testament to the resilience, discipline and determination of the largest cohort to ever sit for the NSC examinations, with over 900 000 candidates writing in 2025. Bhengu said of particular significance is the achievement of 345 000 bachelor passes, an increase of more than 8000 from the previous year, underscoring a continued improvement in the quality of outcomes that open pathways to higher education and future leadership.
“The provincial performance across the country demonstrates collective progress. KwaZulu-Natal leads with an outstanding 90.6% pass rate, followed by the Free State at 89.33% and Gauteng at 89.06%. Strong performances were also recorded in North West (88.49%), Western Cape (88.2%), Northern Cape (87.79%), Mpumalanga (86.55%), Limpopo (86.15%), and the Eastern Cape (84.17%).
“Notably, every district in the country achieved a pass rate above 80%, reflecting systemic improvement across all provinces. These outcomes are the result of the collective effort of educators, parents, school governing bodies, education workers and communities who continue to carry the responsibility of nation building under difficult conditions,” she said.
Bhengu further said they affirm the effectiveness of curriculum recovery interventions and the commitment of the ANC-led government to restoring learning, strengthening teaching, and expanding access to quality education, particularly in historically disadvantaged communities. She added that while they celebrate excellence, the ANC also extends encouragement to learners who did not achieve the results they had hoped for.
“These outcomes do not define your future. Multiple pathways remain available, including bridging programmes, the Second Chance Matric Programme, technical and vocational education and training, learnerships and opportunities to rewrite matric as part of a broader system of lifelong learning.
“Learners are advised that universities and institutions of higher learning will communicate admission outcomes and registration processes through official online platforms. In light of the large volumes involved, physical enquiries are discouraged to avoid overcrowding and unnecessary administrative strain,” said Bhengu.
She said young people are encouraged to explore the full basket of post-school opportunities, including service through the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as government supported programmes such as Funza Lushaka, nursing training, and other priority skills development initiatives. Bhengu said learners may access their individual results from 6am on 13 January 2026, through their schools or approved official platforms.
“The ANC reaffirms its conviction that education remains the cornerstone of nation building and social progress. There is hope beyond every setback.
“The doors of learning remain open, and the task before us is to ensure that every young person is supported to walk through them with purpose, resilience, and confidence,” she said.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Basic Education and Member of Parliament (MP), Nazley Sharif said they welcome the release of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results and congratulate the Class of 2025 on reaching this milestone. Sharif said they extend special recognition to learners from no-fee schools, learners who succeeded despite socio-economic hardship, and those who overcame personal and structural challenges to complete matric.
“Their achievements underscore the resilience of South Africa’s young people and the importance of protecting learner opportunity at every stage of the schooling system. We also congratulate all IEB matriculants on their 2025 results.
“The DA notes progress in inclusion, with increased participation of learners with special education needs alongside improved performance outcomes for these learners,” she said.
Sharif said they welcome the Minister’s honest and evidence-based analysis of what the results show about the education system, particularly the ongoing challenge of learner throughput, including the drop-off between Grade 10 and Grade 12, as well as persistent performance difficulties in key gateway subjects such as Mathematics and Physical Sciences. She said the DA supports the Minister’s commitment to address these concerns through targeted interventions to improve learner retention and success across the FET phase, and through strengthened support for gateway subjects that are critical to access further study and employment opportunities.
“Protecting learners must remain central to reform. This includes ensuring that learners who benefit from social grants are effectively supported to remain in school and complete matric successfully, so that income support translates into long-term educational and economic opportunity.
“Finally, the DA reaffirms the urgent need to strengthen the foundations of learning, particularly early literacy and numeracy. We welcome the Minister’s strategic focus on foundational learning as the most sustainable long-term lever for improving educational outcomes and ensuring that future matric cohorts are better prepared to succeed,” said Sharif.
The Guardian 