Executive Summary
- National Pass Rate: 88.0% (Up from 87.3% in 2024).
- Top National Learner: Abigail Kok from York High School, Western Cape.
- Winning Province: KwaZulu-Natal (90.6%).
- Top District: Johannesburg West (96.2%).
- Historical Milestone: For the first time, all 75 districts achieved a pass rate above 80%.
A NOWinSA Comprehensive Analysis | Stories Shaping South Africa TodaySouth Africa’s basic education sector has reached a historic milestone with the Class of 2025 achieving a record-breaking 88.0% national pass rate. While the national improvement of 0.7% from 2024’s 87.3% signals system-wide stability, the real story lies within the districts.
For the first time in South African history, all 75 education districts achieved a pass rate above 80%. This year’s rankings reveal a fascinating battle of the titans, as rural powerhouses in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) surged forward in more ways than one. The Kingdom of the Zulu not only demonstrated academic excellence by emerging as the best performing province in South Africa in the just-announced 2025 matric results, but also challenged the long-standing dominance of Gauteng’s urban hubs—marking a defining shift in the country’s evolving landscape of school performance.
Below, we unpack the performance of the top districts and how they’ve shifted since 2024.
Top 10 Performing Districts: 2025 vs 2024
| 2025 Rank | District | Province | 2025 Pass Rate | 2024 Pass Rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg West | Gauteng | 96.20% | 97.0% | ↓ 0.8% |
| 2 | uMkhanyakude | KwaZulu-Natal | 93.63% | 92.8% | ↑ 0.8% |
| 3 | Overberg | Western Cape | 92.36% | 88.3% | ↑ 4.1% |
| 4 | Pinetown | KwaZulu-Natal | 92.20% | 89.9% | ↑ 2.3% |
| 5 | Tshwane North | Gauteng | 92.03% | 91.5% | ↑ 0.5% |
| 6 | Umlazi | KwaZulu-Natal | 92.00% | 90.2% | ↑ 1.8% |
| 7 | Ugu | KwaZulu-Natal | 91.80% | 89.5% | ↑ 2.3% |
| 8 | iLembe | KwaZulu-Natal | 91.50% | 89.6% | ↑ 1.9% |
| 9 | Fezile Dabi | Free State | 91.20% | 91.7% | ↓ 0.5% |
| 10 | Amajuba | KwaZulu-Natal | 90.90% | 89.1% | ↑ 1.8% |
Key Takeaways
- Johannesburg West retains the #1 spot nationally for the third consecutive year, despite a slight dip in its overall percentage.
- KZN’s Dominance: KwaZulu-Natal now hosts six of the top ten districts in the country — a remarkable shift from 2024, when the Free State and Gauteng led the field.
- Rural Excellence: The performance of districts like uMkhanyakude dismantles the myth that poverty dictates destiny. As Minister Gwarube noted, “Over 66% of Bachelor passes were obtained by candidates from no-fee schools.”
- Most Improved: The Overberg District in the Western Cape rose by over 4 percentage points to secure the 3rd position nationally.
- The Rising Floor: The lowest-performing district in 2025, Amathole West (80.3%), would have ranked mid-tier just a few years ago — illustrating a stronger national baseline.
A New Provincial Power Shift
The Free State, which dominated national rankings from 2019 to 2024, saw its pass rate dip from 91.0% (2024) to 89.33% (2025), surrendering the crown.
The new leader, KwaZulu-Natal, surged to a 90.6% pass rate — a testament to years of strategic investment and district-level planning. As revealed in this NOWinSA analysis, MEC Sipho Hlomuka implemented targeted intervention programmes, hybrid learning camps, and a bold 95% provincial target.
“We therefore developed a 2025 Academic Improvement Plan, aimed at improving our pass rate from 89.5% to a minimum of 95%, with the ultimate goal of reaching 100%,” MEC Hlomuka stated in October 2025. “Our provincial vision remains clear: every learner who sits for the final examination must pass.”
Gauteng remained highly competitive at 89.06%, while the Northern Cape was recognized as the most improved province.
ALSO READ: 2025 Matric Results: Free State Loses Top Province Status After 6 Years
Quality vs Quantity: Lessons from the DBE
While the Department of Basic Education (DBE) celebrated record performance, Minister Siviwe Gwarube urged a balanced view. Her reform strategy — “A New Course for Basic Education: Root-Deep Reform, Learning First” — emphasises foundational skills and equity.
“The 2025 results show us that excellence is spreading into communities that have carried the heaviest burdens… but the results also confirm the central truth of our reform agenda: without strong foundations in the early years, inequity will always return later.”
Key challenges remain in gateway subjects — Mathematics dropped from 69% to 64%, and Accounting from 81% to 78%, though Physical Science rose slightly to 77%.
The Bachelor pass rate fell from 48% to 46%, but the absolute number of Bachelor-level learners reached a record 345,000 — showing scale without full parity of quality.
Private Schools and Alternative Calendars
Beyond public education, private institutions continue to demonstrate exceptional performance. The 2025 IEB results celebrated top achievers from schools such as Redhill School, Roedean School for Girls, and St John’s College.
Their approach — shorter, more flexible terms and individualized support — is detailed in Private Schools 2026 Calendar: Fewer School Days, Flexible Terms.
In case you missed it: 10 Best Performing Private Schools and Students in South Africa (2024)
Accessing Your Matric Results
Learners can access their individual 2025 Matric results through several official channels:
- KZN learners: via the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education Portal
- National results: through the DBE National Results Portal
- Gauteng learners: on the Gauteng Results Portal
- Mobile access is also available via SMS and USSD services.
For detailed instructions on checking your results:
👉 How to Check Your 2024 Matric Results
👉 ALSO READ: 4 Official Platforms to Check Your 2025 Matric Results
