The matric class of 2024 in South Africa has achieved the highest-ever pass rate, with 87.3% of learners passing the National Senior Certificate (NSC). This surpasses the previous record of 82.9% set by the 2023 matric class, equating to 615,429 learners who successfully passed.
Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, reported that nearly half of the candidates—47.8%—qualified for admission to Bachelor studies, marking a significant improvement from 40.9% in 2023. This represents a 6.9% increase in Bachelor passes over the previous year. In 2014, 150,752 Bachelor passes were recorded, compared to 337,158 in 2024.
KwaZulu-Natal led the country with the highest number of Bachelor passes at 84,470, followed by Gauteng with 66,979 and the Eastern Cape with 45,662.
Top Performing Provinces
The Free State achieved the highest matric pass rate at 91%, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 89.5% and Gauteng at 88.4%. North West recorded 87.5%, while the Western Cape achieved an overall pass rate of 86.6% alongside the top mathematics pass rate of 78.0% and the top physical science pass rate of 79.4%. Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape recorded pass rates of 85.0%, 84.9%, and 84.8% respectively, while the Northern Cape finished last at 84.2%.
Distinctions and Top Achievers
A total of 319,651 distinctions were achieved in 2024, up by 65,000 from 2023. KwaZulu-Natal led in distinction potential with 10.8%, followed by the Western Cape at 6.3% and Gauteng at 5.3%. Significant improvements were also noted in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier highlighted the province’s highest retention rate from Grade 10 to 12 at 68.3%, with nearly 3,800 more learners passing matric compared to 2023. The province produced four nationally recognized top candidates, including the overall top candidate, Rayyan Ebrahim of Pinelands High School.
Top Candidates in Quintile 5 Schools
First place: Rayyan Ebrahim – Pinelands High School
Second place: Matthew Christopher Wise – Pinelands High School
Third place: Nicholas David Schreiber – Rondebosch Boys’ High School
The historic results reflect a decade of significant growth in academic achievement in South Africa, with notable improvements across key subjects and provinces.
