The Mpumalanga Department of Education has announced an improved 86.5% pass rate for the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, marking steady progress in the province’s academic performance.

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Speaking at the official results announcement at the Lilian Ngoyi Community Hall in Secunda, MEC for education Lindi Masina praised the Class of 2025 for their resilience, discipline and determination.

“This year reflects what is possible when leadership is decisive and communities, educators, parents, and learners work together,” she said.

Steady progress and growing opportunities

A total of 69 510 learners registered for the exams, with 67 114 writing all subjects. The province improved from 84.99% in 2024 to 86.5% in 2025, moving closer to its 90% target.

Encouragingly, more learners are qualifying for further education:
• 28 610 learners achieved bachelor passes (up from 27 885 in 2024)
• 19 603 learners qualified for diploma studies (a 29.2% increase)

Masina said this growth signals expanding opportunities and aligns with national development goals.

Districts perform above expectations

All four districts performed above the 80% threshold:
• Ehlanzeni District: 88.0% (top-performing district)
• Nkangala District: 87.4% (improved)
• Gert Sibande District: 87.1%
• Bohlabela District: 83.5% (most improved)

“This shows consistency and collective effort across the province,” Masina noted.

Top schools and outstanding achievements
Hoërskool Nelspruit emerged as the top-performing school, achieving a 100% pass rate with 402 distinctions.
Fifty-six schools across the province achieved a 100% pass rate, while 379 schools performed between 80% and 99%.
Meanwhile, Emalahleni Local Municipality led all municipalities with an impressive 94% pass rate.

Circuit excellence and improvement

Out of 71 education circuits, Mashishing Circuit ranked best overall with 97.3%. Sixty-two circuits achieved above 80% and none fell below 70%.

The most improved circuit, KwaThandeka (Amsterdam), jumped by 12.6%, achieving 91.7%.

Strong performance from boarding schools

Boarding schools also delivered solid results, with several exceeding 90%:
• Thaba Chweu Boarding School achieved a 100% pass rate
• Izimbali Boarding School recorded 97.6%
• Shongwe Boarding School achieved 95.5%.

Clean governance and credible exams

The MEC confirmed that the results were certified by Umalusi, ensuring their credibility.

Notably, Mpumalanga has maintained 14 consecutive years without exam paper leaks, reinforcing confidence in the integrity of its examination system.

Looking ahead: Current academic year

While celebrating progress, Masina acknowledged challenges in governance, financial management, and infrastructure, committing to improvements in these areas.