South Africa’s matric class of 2024 has achieved a groundbreaking 87.3% pass rate, marking the highest rate in the nation’s history.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube announced the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric results at a ceremony in Johannesburg on Monday with top achievers, parents, guardians, teachers and provincial education department officials in attendance.

“This is the highest matric pass rate in the history of our country and should be a moment of great pride and celebration for us all,” she said.

The Class of 2024 has improved on the 82.9% pass rate from the Class of 2023.

The overall matric pass rate for 2022 was recorded at 80.1%, reflecting a 3.7% increase compared to the pass rate achieved by the Class of 2021.

Every province has achieved above an 84% pass rate in the 2024 results.

Nearly half of learners received a bachelor pass, at 47.8%. This is a 6.9% increase from the previous year.

KZN achieved the highest number of bachelor passes.

“The class of 2024 reflects the resilience of the protea. Like the protea, the class of 2024 proved that from the harshest conditions, greatness can bloom,” Gwarube said.

Earlier Gwarube encouraged the country’s 39 top achievers to become ethical leaders, to be kind and leave an impact in whatever they do.

Among the celebrated pupils were matriculants from all provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, and Limpopo.

One stand out student was Rayyan Ebrahim from Pinelands High School. He is set to pursue a degree in Data Science and Computer Science this year. However, his journey to success was not without obstacles.

“Covid-19 and load shedding have been two of the biggest challenges during my high school journey. I really had to be adaptable to overcome these challenges. This meant waking up early and sleeping late sometimes. I am thankful and grateful for the support I received from my parents as well as from my teachers,” Ebrahim said.

The 39 pupils joined Gwarube as her guests at the Ministerial breakfast, held in Fairlands, Johannesburg.

Addressing the matriculants, Gwarube said: “Be a better person who leaves the world better than you found it. Be an ethical leader, think about what it is that you have been taught and apply that in your work life because you are future leaders and today's hope.

“We require leaders who are innovators, who are thinkers. We require ethical leaders. For too long we have never paid attention as a country, as a continent, to ethics.”

She said the theme for the matric results was a Protea flower, which she said symbolises renewal and that it thrives in adversity. She added that the Class of 2024 began their high school journey in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown which compelled them to adapt to a new norm of learning, but they persevered.

Gwarube said four years ago when Covid-19 hit, “we were petrified, and we did not know what would happen”.

She said the pupils are thriving in spite of the challenges and have braved difficult situations to achieve great results.

“We want to make sure that the 13.5 million learners in the country have access to good quality education so that they too can become the beacon of hope for their families and change the lives of many South Africans.”

She said South Africa with all its complexities, is a beautiful country to belong to.

“The next chapter will be written by you. Invest in yourselves and make sure you are constantly growing. Leave an impact in whatever you do. Be kind, be a better person who leaves the world better than you found it,” she said.

The gathering acknowledged academic excellence and highlighted the challenges the learners overcame to reach the milestone. Gwarube commended teachers who remain the backbone of the education system.

Gauteng's representative, Msawenkosi Buthelezi, spoke about the hurdles he faced, including extreme workload compounded by financial difficulties and personal health challenges.

“To tell you the truth, I did not think I would be here due to the health challenges that I went through, which required me to undergo psychological help. I also had to deal with financial challenges while prioritising my studies. I am grateful for the help and support I received from my teachers and my family,” he noted.

Sibusiso Buthelezi of Zimele High School in Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal expressed similar sentiments. Excited about his acceptance to study Actuarial Science at UCT, he credited the unwavering support of his community, family, and teachers for his success.

“From a very young age, I have been fascinated by numbers and mathematics, and I believe that with my strengths and capabilities, I will be able to achieve my dreams,” he said.

Cape Times

Gwalisile Khanyile

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