South Africa’s Matric Pass Rate Reaches Record High of 88% in 2025

Key Takeaways:

• The National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate for the Class of 2025 has increased to 88%, representing a 0.7% improvement over the 2024 pass rate.
• KwaZulu-Natal led the provincial rankings with a stellar pass rate of 90.6%, closely followed by the Free State at 89.33% and Gauteng at 89.06%.
• The overall Bachelor’s pass percentage edged down from 48% to 46%, but the actual number of achievers rose by 8,700 to more than 345,000, the highest ever recorded.
• Education experts have raised concerns about the low Mathematics participation rate of 34.1% and the need for early interventions to improve foundational skills.
• The largest dropout pressure is not across the whole system, but intensifies late, as learners move into Grades 11 and 12, with only about 84% making it from Grade 10 to Grade 11, and about 78% from Grade 11 to Grade 12.

Introduction to the 2025 Matric Results
The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has announced that the National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate for the Class of 2025 has increased to 88%, representing a 0.7% improvement over the 2024 pass rate. This is a significant achievement, especially considering that this was the largest class in history to sit for the final matric exams, with over 900,000 candidates. The provincial rankings were led by KwaZulu-Natal with a stellar pass rate of 90.6%, closely followed by the Free State at 89.33% and Gauteng at 89.06%. The Western Cape took fifth place at 88.2% and the Northern Cape sixth at 87.79%, marking the most significant improvement among provinces.

Quantity vs. Quality
While the increased pass rate is a cause for celebration, Gwarube noted that quantity is only the starting point. The next phase is about quality: making sure that access translates into learning, and learning translates into stronger outcomes, especially in gateway subjects. The subject choices by the Class of 2025 remind us again of the long reach of weak foundations, with only 34% of candidates writing Mathematics, while most wrote Mathematical Literacy. This is concerning, as Mathematics is an important gateway subject. The pass rate for Accounting slipped from 81% to 78%, while Physical Sciences edged up slightly to 77% from 76%. However, the cohort earned fewer distinctions overall in Accounting, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences compared with 2024.

Expert Reactions
Education experts have reacted to the release of the 2025 matric results, noting several improvements, especially in provinces that have struggled due to socioeconomic challenges. They pointed to several standout strengths in the results, starting with the even performance across districts and provinces, which showed no weak links pulling down the national average. Bachelor’s passes also rose across all quintiles, a clear sign that longstanding equity gaps are beginning to close. Emeritus Professor Michael le Cordeur, from the Department of Curriculum Studies at Stellenbosch University, called the Class of 2025 matric results “impressive”. However, he flagged the low Mathematics participation rate of 34.1% as deeply troubling for South Africa’s development.

Late-Stage Dropout Concerns
Gwarube noted that the largest dropout pressure is not across the whole system, but intensifies late, as learners move into Grades 11 and 12. Only about 84% make it from Grade 10 to Grade 11, and about 78% from Grade 11 to Grade 12. Experts have raised concerns about the sharp rise in dropouts between Grades 11 and 12, following only 4% losses from Grades 1-10. This is evidence of unresolved foundational gaps creating bottlenecks. Every phase needs proper remediation, monitoring, and assessment of key subjects to build confidence for Grades 10-12. Le Cordeur spoke of widespread rumors of provincial “gatekeeping”, where schools deliberately hold back learners in Grade 11 to safeguard stellar matric pass rates.

Growth in Bachelor’s Passes from No-Fee Schools
Gwarube noted that this year saw sustained growth in the number of learners from no-fee schools achieving Bachelor’s passes. Districts like uMkhanyakude and Umlazi remind us that outstanding outcomes can come from communities overwhelmed by lack and need. Over 66% of Bachelor’s passes were obtained by candidates from no-fee schools, and more no-fee schools are achieving pass rates between 80% and 100%. This is a very positive sign, as it indicates that we are closing the equity gap. The performance gaps between poor and rich schools are narrowing, with poor schools catching up very quickly. Candidates from Quintile 1, 2, and 3 schools achieved 218,009 Bachelor’s passes, while those from Quintile 4 and 5 schools achieved 108,919 Bachelor’s passes.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the 2025 matric results show a significant improvement in the pass rate, with KwaZulu-Natal leading the provincial rankings. However, experts have raised concerns about the low Mathematics participation rate and the need for early interventions to improve foundational skills. The largest dropout pressure is not across the whole system, but intensifies late, as learners move into Grades 11 and 12. The growth in Bachelor’s passes from no-fee schools is a positive sign, indicating that we are closing the equity gap. However, experts have tempered their optimism by highlighting a critical next hurdle: whether these qualifications deliver the high enough points for learners to secure spots in their desired careers, given the persistent limited spaces at tertiary institutions.