As the 2026 school year approaches, provinces will face mounting pressure to finalise outstanding student placements.
As schools wind down for the year, parents are already worrying about placement for 2026, with more than 140 000 pupils across the country still without a school.
During a briefing to the portfolio committee on basic education on Tuesday, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) indicated that 140 179 pupils are still to be placed across the country.
According to the DBE, “58.6% of all unplaced learners come from Gauteng”, accounting for the highest number of unplaced admissions for 2026
82 140 unplaced in Gauteng
The DBE’s provincial breakdown shows that Gauteng has 82 140 unplaced learners, making it the country’s most affected province by a massive margin.
The province has already placed 2 369 430 pupils, but remains under severe pressure.
Grade 1 alone has 35 531 unplaced learners, while Grade 8 has 45 913 unplaced learners, the single highest grade-level backlog in the country.
Other grades show comparatively small unplaced numbers, with fewer than 130 outstanding placements per grade outside Grade 1 and Grade 8.
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Others with high unplaced numbers
Despite placing 1 195 498 pupils, the Western Cape still recorded the second-highest, with 16 419 unplaced pupils for 2026.
The largest backlogs are in:
- Grade R: 2 783
- Grade 8: 5 912
Unlike Gauteng, the Western Cape sees more students unplaced in other grades, with 1 639 in Grade 10.
Mpumalanga also shows signs of strain, with 15 426 unplaced learners, including 3 904 in Grade R and 7 965 in Grade 8.
There are less than 10 students per grades remaining to be placed.
Limpopo follows Mpumalanga distantly, noting 10 364 of unplaced students and has placed 1 427 749 pupils.
The biggest pressures appear in:
- Grade R: 1 499
- Grade 8: 3 575
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Provinces with less than 10 000 students to be placed
North West recorded 8 641 unplaced students, largely driven by Grade R and Grade 8 demand, and has placed 660 370 pupils.
The Grade 8 backlog is the highest with 4 015 unplaced.
While Free State has 3 706 unplaced pupils, with 656 778 placed. The most unplaced pupils fall in:
- Grade 1: 2 206
- Grade 8: 1 115
Furthermore, the Eastern Cape has 2 492 unplaced pupils and has placed 1 742 806 pupils. The province’s largest backlog is in Grade 8, with 1 097 unplaced.
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KZN and Northern Cape record low backlogs
KwaZulu-Natal has kept its backlog extremely low at 271 unplaced pupils, despite placing 2 564 780 pupils.
Every grade reflects single-digit or near-zero unplaced numbers.
The Northern Cape has 720 unplaced pupils and has placed 258 820 pupils. Backlogs are concentrated in:
- Grade R: 244
- Grade 1: 194
- Grade 8: 282
National 12 million placed
Nationally, out of 12 156 289 applications, the DBE has placed 12 016 110 pupils.
However, 140 179 remain unplaced, with Gauteng alone accounting for more than half.
As the 2026 school year approaches, provinces will now be under pressure to clear outstanding placements, with Gauteng set to face the most difficult task in the country.
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