Minister David Mayneir on 2025 Matriculant results
Good morning, to our top candidates, to our top schools, to our parents, principals and teachers, and to our special guests. Last year we were delighted that our Class of 2024 had made the history books by delivering the highest pass rate and highest bachelor’s pass rate our province had ever achieved. It was such a big increase that we were worried that it would be an outlier year. Well… the Class of 2025 didn’t see it that way.
They worked hard and focused on their studies, with the help of their dedicated matric teachers. And once again, records have been broken. The Class of 2025 has delivered what is now the highest pass rate ever for our province, at 88.2%, and the highest bachelor’s pass rate ever, at 49.2%. We have the top Mathematics pass mark in the country, and the second highest Physical Science pass rate in the country.
We have the top candidate with special needs in the country, and we congratulate Takunda Muchuweni, from Jan Kriel School in Kuils River, on this outstanding achievement.
We have the top candidate in the entire country for the 5th year running, and we congratulate Abigail Kok, from York High School in George, on her outstanding achievement.
To put this in context for you:
Not only is she the top candidate out of all 66 000 matrics in the Western Cape, She is the top candidate out of all 746 000 matrics in South Africa! Well done!
Quality passes
Now, not only did the Western Cape achieve our highest matric pass rate ever: South Africa as a whole has achieved the highest matric pass rate ever. And our country’s matric Class of 2025 was the largest cohort that has ever written the matric exams. Which begs the question: where do we go to from here? We have clearly increased the quantity of matric passes, but we must now also improve the quality.
We simply cannot say that we are delivering quality education:
- When we have too few learners achieving a bachelor’s pass,
- When we have too few learners writing and passing Mathematics well,
- And when we have too few learners writing and passing Physical Science well.
In Mathematics, 25.4% of our candidates achieved a pass mark of 60% or above.
In Physical Science, 27.6% of our candidates achieved a pass mark of 60% or above.
These indicators of quality education don’t just matter to the education department: They are directly correlated to expanding the opportunities available to our candidates, to growing our economy, and to building a better future for our children here in the Western Cape. So let me be clear: we will no longer only be focused on the overall pass rate of a school.
We will also be focused on:
- Raising the bachelor’s pass rate to over 60%,
- Increasing the number and proportion of Mathematics passes at 60%, and
- Increasing the number and proportion of Physical Science passes at 60%.
We must commit to excellence, and we must deliver excellence, in education in the Western Cape. Because it is possible.
Improvement and excellence
When we talk, seriously, about excellence, we start to hear the “buts”, explaining why a school cannot improve the quality of their matric passes.
But…we are a no-fee school. But…we are starting off a low base.But…we are located in a community with challenges. And yet, examples of improvement and excellence are easy to find, even in the toughest of circumstances!
Take Silikamva High School, where I celebrated the release of matric results to candidates earlier this month.
This year, their matric class achieved a 100% pass rate for the first time in the school’s history, and a bachelor’s pass rate of 76%. And this is a Quintile 3 no-fee school, which has struggled in the past with a matric pass rate of just 40.4% in 2019.
It is possible!
Or look at Crestway High School in Retreat, where candidates increased their bachelor’s pass rate by over 30 percentage points between 2023 and 2025, and show no signs of slowing down in 2026. The school had the lowest pass rate in the province in 2023 and now has a pass rate of 84.5% for 2025.
When I visited Crestway High School after the results were announced, some of the school’s current Grade 10s – who are already referring to themselves as the Class of 2028 – told me they have a clear message:
We are coming for Bishops! It is possible! How about Simanyene High School in Nomzamo, another Quintile 3 no-fee school, where 48.6% of their Mathematics candidates achieved 60% or more for the subject. And 40.6% of their Physical Science candidates achieved 60% or more for the subject. It is possible!
Or Sophumelela Secondary School, a Quintile 3 no-fee school in Philippi, where candidates earned 11 distinctions in Mathematics and 4 distinctions for Physical Science. No matter what the circumstances, and no matter what the challenges, improvement is possible, and excellence is possible, in our public schools and our independent schools, in our ordinary schools and our special schools, in our technical schools and our focus schools, in our metro schools and our rural schools, it is possible, everywhere, no “buts”.
Closing
In closing, I want to congratulate all of our top achievers here today. We are so proud of you, and of the whole of the Western Cape Class of 2025. We are so excited to see what you do next! I want to thank our matric teachers, who are the foundation upon which our candidates’ dreams are built. Thank you to our matric parents, who have supported your children throughout their school careers, and can rightly share in the achievements of the Class of 2025.
A special thank you to all our sponsors, for recognising and rewarding the talented young people in our province. Finally, I want to say something to our Class of 2026: The challenge has been laid before you. We believe that you can achieve even greater heights than the classes that have gone before you, if you keep your head down, focus, and dedicate yourself to your schoolwork throughout your matric year. Don’t do it for us, or for your parents, or for your school. Do it for yourself. The effort you put in over the coming year is a direct investment in your own future. And remember, no “buts”.
Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister David Maynier
E-mail: Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za
Social media:
Facebook – Minister David Maynier
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Insta – davidmaynier
WhatsApp channel – https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAQKqO2f3EHitqE5n28
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