903 561 full-time and part-time candidates wrote under the DBE, while 17 414 sat for the IEB exams and 6 168 candidates wrote through SACAI
As South Africa’s matric class of 2025 anxiously waited for the release of their results, some of the country’s top achievers shared how they overcame the odds at a ministerial breakfast hosted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in Johannesburg on Monday.
The 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results are set to be released on Monday, 12 January 2026.
Ahead of the official announcement, high-performing candidates from across the country were honoured at a top achievers’ breakfast attended by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube at the MTN Innovation Centre.
Among those who excelled was Takunda Muchuweni from Jan Kriel School, a special education school in the Western Cape.
Muchuweni, who is paralysed from the neck down and in a wheelchair, has had to overcome both mental and physical battles on her journey to achievement.
“The most difficult part of my year was battling self-doubt and being in real physical pain. I had to write exams while sick, and I was wondering whether I would be physically able to make it.
“It was demotivating to put in all the work and get the strength to go to school, and then when you sit for the exam, you are hit with sharp pain. You have to focus and write for three hours with a smile on your face when you are just racked with pain,” she told The Citizen.
She encouraged the Class of 2026 not to give up on their dreams, no matter how much it may hurt.
Best of the best
According to Umalusi, a total of 927 143 candidates wrote the NSC examinations in 2025 across the DBE, the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI). Of these, 903 561 full-time and part-time candidates wrote under the DBE, while 17 414 sat for the IEB exams and 6 168 candidates wrote through SACAI.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the group of top achievers represented “the best of the best”.
“This is what the country can produce. It always excites me to be in the company of young people who are so gifted and have the capabilities to take the country forward.”
He said the education system should be flexible and embrace technologies like artificial intelligence.
“We must not prohibit it, so that they [students] use it for the wrong purposes. We must make it easier for them to use it for education. It is here and real; we can’t avoid it.”
Something remarkable
Gwarube said the group had “achieved something remarkable.”
“You have not only passed; you have excelled. In doing so, you have expanded what is possible for yourselves, your families, and your communities. You have shown that excellence is not reserved for a privileged few, but is earned through discipline, resilience, and focus.
“But let me say this clearly: this moment is not the end of your journey. It is the beginning of a new climb.”
She acknowledged the challenges many of them faced, and applauded their perseverance.
“Your stories remind us that success is not the absence of hardship, but the refusal to be defined by it. You faced obstacles that could easily have pushed you back down the hill. Circumstances beyond your control. Moments when the climb felt unfair, when progress slipped away just as it seemed within reach.
“And yet, you persevered.”
Official results
The DBE said the breakfast formed part of a broader programme leading up to the official release of the results, which will culminate in an evening awards ceremony where national and provincial top achievers will be formally recognised.
The ministerial announcement of the 2025 NSC results will take place later on Monday, with candidates expected to access their individual results through official DBE platforms on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
The department has urged pupils and parents to rely on verified channels and to seek guidance where support is needed.
The DBE said the class of 2025 wrote under intense pressure but demonstrated determination, setting the tone for the future of the country’s education system.
This is a developing story
