The Class of 2025 has delivered the highest National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate in the country’s history, achieving an overall pass rate of 88%.
This sterling performance comes despite persistent challenges linked to inequality, resource constraints, and a weak early childhood foundation.
Announcing the results on Monday evening at the Mosaiek Church in Randburg, Johannesburg, Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education, said the outcomes reflected a system that is becoming more stable.
However, she cautioned that deeper reforms are necessary to enhance quality, especially in key subjects like mathematics and physical science.
More than 656 000 learners passed the NSC examinations in 2025, making it the largest matric cohort to date.
Over 900 000 candidates wrote the exams across approximately 6 000 examination centres across the country.
While celebrating the achievement, Gwarube emphasised that access alone is not enough.
“The real test of our education system is not only how many learners pass, but how well they are prepared for further study, work, and life,” she said.
Bachelor passes increase
Although enrollment in mathematics increased slightly, performance declined, with the pass rate dropping from 69% in 2024 to 64% in 2025.
Accounting also saw a decline from 81% to 78%, while physical science showed a modest improvement, increasing to 77%.
Despite these challenges, more learners than ever before qualified for university entrance.
Over 345 000 candidates achieved bachelor passes, an increase of 8 700 from the previous year, even though the overall percentage of bachelor passes dipped slightly to 46%.
Provincial performance showed steady improvements across the country, with KwaZulu-Natal emerging as the top-performing province with a 90.6% pass rate.
It was followed by the Free State at 89.33% and Gauteng at 89.06%. North West recorded 88.49%, while the Western Cape achieved 88.20%.
The Northern Cape posted the biggest improvement, rising to 87.79%, followed by Mpumalanga at 86.55% and Limpopo at 86.15%.
The Eastern Cape, while still ranked lowest, improved to 84.17%, continuing its upward trend.
Notably, all 75 education districts achieved pass rates above 80%, a milestone the department described as a key indicator of system-wide stability rather than isolated excellence.
Urgency to prevent learning gaps
The results also highlighted ongoing inequality. Learners from no-fee schools accounted for more than 66% of bachelor passes, reinforcing the message that poverty does not determine potential when schools are properly supported.
However, the department expressed concern about declining performance among learners reliant on social grants, calling for closer coordination with social development authorities.
Gwarube said the results underscore the urgency of strengthening early childhood education, literacy and numeracy to prevent learning gaps that surface in matric.
“Matric is not a moment. It is the outcome of more than a decade of learning,” she said.
As the country celebrates a record pass rate, the minister cautioned that sustained investment, especially in early learning and teacher support, will determine whether future gains are lasting.
