The South African matric class of 2023 has accomplished a historic 82.9% pass percentage, surpassing all of the previous classes since the country’s founding. This is a remarkable feat of academic excellence. When Angie Motshekga, the minister of basic education, made the announcement in Johannesburg on Thursday night, she disclosed not just a commendable 2.8% increase from the year prior, but also a noteworthy 6.5% jump from 2021.

Motshekga expressed his admiration for the notable increase in the 2023 results, stating that the group achieved the greatest proportion of Bachelor passes and distinctions in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination’s history. Notably, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Limpopo provinces in particular contributed significantly to this success.

The Free State led the provinces with an impressive 89.0% pass rate, setting a new standard, while Limpopo showed the greatest progress with a respectable 7.4% increase. Motshekga highlighted that these findings challenge the notion that high-quality education is only found in cities and highlight a significant change in South Africa’s educational landscape.

Looking at the province-by-provincial breakdown, KwaZulu-Natal came in second with an impressive 86.4% pass percentage, up 3.4% from 2022. The North West had an increase of 1.8% to 81.6% pass rate, while Gauteng recorded an improvement of 1.0% to 85.4%. With 81.5%, the Western Cape showed a slight 0.1% gain from 2022.

The Eastern Cape, registering an 81.4% pass rate, witnessed a significant improvement of 4.1% from the previous year. Limpopo, hailed as the best-improved province, achieved a 79.5% pass rate, reflecting an impressive 7.4% improvement. Mpumalanga achieved a 77.0% pass rate, a slight 0.2% increase, while the Northern Cape secured the last position with a 75.8% pass rate, up by 1.6% from 2022.

In a groundbreaking revelation, Minister Motshekga highlighted that the pass rate of the 2023 NSC exams, when expressed as a percentage, is the highest in the history of the NSC thus far. Additionally, the 2023 cohort attained the highest number and percentage of Bachelor passes in the entire history of the NSC exams, with 282,894 candidates qualifying for admission to universities ��� a staggering 40.9% of the total number of exam-takers.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng emerged as the leading contributors to Bachelor passes, with 72,099 and 56,552 respectively. Together, they accounted for an impressive 45.5% of the total Bachelor passes achieved in the 2023 NSC exams.

The results further revealed that 187,876 candidates, representing 27.2% of the total, passed with a Diploma, while 101,973 candidates, comprising 14.8% of the total, achieved passes with Higher Certificates.

Breaking down the performance across school fee categories, candidates from fee-paying schools achieved an 85.9% pass rate, with 170,080 out of 198,034 candidates passing the examinations. On the other hand, candidates”no fee” schools achieved a 77.2% pass rate, with 387,401 out of 501,758 candidates passing. Independent schools boasted a remarkable 91.0% pass rate, with 23,074 out of 25,354 candidates succeeding.

Minister Motshekga congratulated independent schools for their performance, extending acknowledgment to those writing under the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI).

A thorough analysis of the 2023 NSC exam results revealed a total of 253,807 distinctions, equivalent to 49.4% of the total number of passes. Additionally, 60,507 passes with distinctions from 2022 showcased the academic prowess of the matric class. KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Limpopo emerged as the main contributors, accounting for an impressive 85.7% of passes with distinction.

Minister Motshekga emphasized the remarkable performance of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo ��� the three most rural provinces in the country. These provinces collectproduced 144,015 Bachelor passes, equivalent to 50.9% of the total, and a notable improvement of 4.6% from 2022. Additionally, they contributed 149,655 passes with distinctions, making up 59.0% of the total passes with distinction ��� a remarkable improvement of 23.2% from 2022.

Dispelling the myth that quality education is exclusive to urban provinces, Minister Motshekga credited the consistent and improved performance in rural provinces t”pro-poor” policies of the government.

In closing, Minister Motshekga extended congratulations to all matriculants, educators, and stakeholders who played a role in achieving these groundbreaking results. The 2023 NSC exams not only set a new standard for academic excellence but also showcased the potential for quality education to thrive in every corner of South Africa.