The Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust has once again invested in Alexandra’s future, awarding bursaries to the 60 top matriculants from the Class of 2025.
The ceremony, held at the Alex Sankopano Resource Centre on January 21, celebrated learners who had earned outstanding results in the National Senior Certificate examinations through their hard work and determination.

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Deputy President of South Africa Paul Mashatile, a patron of the trust, congratulated the recipients, noting that each had achieved above 70% in their final examinations. “These bursaries are an investment in your dreams and in your potential to contribute meaningfully in your communities and our country,” Mashatile said.

Mashatile also extended his congratulations to Alexandra’s entire matric Class of 2025 and their schools for strong performances. Of the 1 264 learners who sat for the examinations, comprising 514 boys and 750 girls, 1 103 passed, resulting in an overall pass rate of 87.26%. Furthermore, Mashatile noted that the learners achieved 182 distinctions.

He said that four of the five schools achieved a pass rate of more than 80%. Minerva Secondary School achieved 97%, followed by Kwabhekilanga Secondary with 94%, Realogile Secondary School (84.4%) and East Bank (82.8%. Only Alex High fell a few percentage points from reaching 80%, achieving a pass rate of 78.3%.

“This overall improvement signals growing stability across the majority of our schools. Our collective aspiration remains clear: all schools must perform above 90%, with none falling below 80%.”

Additionally, he pointed out the increasing number of learners qualifying for Bachelor’s passes – 522 learners achieved Bachelor’s passes, 374 Diploma passes, and 207 Higher Certificate passes.

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Speaking on behalf of Alex principals, Minerva Secondary School principal Nontsikelelo Tsatsi said the results reflected the tireless commitment of educators. “Against all odds, the educators and the management of the schools worked hard and delivered. Our mandate is very clear, as the employees of the department, it is to change the lives of these learners.”
For many of the bursary recipients, the awards represented more than recognition, it represented an opportunity to further their studies with the support they needed.

One of Alexandra’s top achievers, Gugulethu Ntuli from Minerva, earned seven distinctions and is set to study computer science and applied mathematics at Wits University.
“I have been working very hard throughout the year to make sure that I achieve the marks that I was aiming for. So, I am really happy, and I really appreciate myself for remaining persistent throughout the year,” Gugulethu said.

Now, having received bursaries, the learners, some from underprivileged households, look ahead to a brighter future, where their higher education dreams are not limited by their financial circumstances.

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