The 2025 matric cohorts achieved a record-breaking matric pass rate of 88%, which is is 0.7% higher than last year’s 87.3%.
As the Matric Class of 2025 celebrate their historic achievements, Deputy President Paul Mashatile encouraged matriculants to take advantage of opportunities aimed at supporting young people.
The official National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam results were announced by Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube on Monday evening.
Record
The 2025 matric cohort achieved a record-breaking matric pass rate of 88%, which is 0.7% higher than last year’s 87.3%.
Gwarube shared words of encouragement with pupils who did not achieve the results they had hoped for.
She said they were not failures, and their stories were not over, adding that there are pathways to improve their results, including rewrites, support programmes, and second-chance opportunities.
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‘Opportunities’
Mashatile extended his “heartfelt congratulations” to the Matric Class of 2025.
“The Deputy President commends the matriculants for their resilience, discipline, and determination in reaching this important milestone, noting that their achievement represents both personal success and a critical contribution to the country’s future development,” Mashatile’s spokesperson, Keith Khoza, said.
“In his message, the Deputy President encourages the matriculants to take advantage of government-supported opportunities aimed at supporting young people as they transition into higher education, skills development, and employment.”
Khoza added that Mashatile reaffirmed the government’s commitment to “investing in young people and creating inclusive opportunities that enable them to participate meaningfully in the economy and society.”
Matric results
Meanwhile, despite an ongoing legal battle with the Information Regulator, the Department of Basic Education last week confirmed that the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results would be published on Tuesday in some newspapers.
The department said the results will be made available in the same pseudonymised format used in recent years, displaying examination numbers and results only, with no names, surnames, or ID numbers.
In recent years, the media has published results that show only a pupil’s unique exam number.
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