South Africa’s matric class of 2025 has achieved the country’s highest pass rate to date, reaching an impressive 88%, according to the results released on Monday night.
The announcement was delivered by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube during a live broadcast from the Mosaiek Church in Fairland, Johannesburg.
KwaZulu-Natal emerged as the top-performing province with a 90.6% pass rate, closely followed by the Free State at 89.33% and Gauteng at 89.06%.
The North West secured fourth place with 88.49%, while the Western Cape and Northern Cape posted 88.2% and 87.79% respectively. Mpumalanga reached 86.55%, Limpopo 86.15%, and the Eastern Cape recorded 84.17%.
Nearly a million candidates sat for the final examinations after what the minister described as a demanding academic year.
Although the percentage of bachelor passes declined slightly from 48% to 46%, the number of learners who qualified for university entrance reached a new peak. Approximately 345,000 pupils secured bachelor-level passes — an increase of 8,700 compared to the previous year.
All 75 education districts recorded pass rates of 80% or higher, marking another milestone for the sector.
However, the achievements of the class have been overshadowed by an ongoing cheating scandal.
The number of learners implicated in exam paper leaks has risen from 26 to 40, and those found responsible will face established penalties, including being barred from writing exams for up to three sittings. Learners under investigation have also experienced delays in receiving their results.
Last year’s class of 2024 achieved a national pass rate of 87.3%, placing the 2025 cohort slightly ahead in historical performance.
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