The Department of Basic Education (DBE) announced the national and provincial matric exam results for 2024 yesterday, 13 January 2025. Individual results are available from today. South Africa achieved an outstanding pass rate of 87,3%. Markedly, almost half of the candidates qualified for admission to Bachelor studies.
Provincial pass rates
Following are the pass rates achieved by the different provinces:
- Free State: 91%
- Western Cape: 86,6%
- Eastern Cape: 85%
- Limpopo: 85%
- Mpumalanga: 85%
- Northern Cape: 84,2%
- KwaZulu-Natal: 89,5%
- Gauteng: 88,4%
- North West: 87,5%
Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube highlighted that in 2014, 150 752 learners achieved Bachelor passes and in just a decade this number has more than doubled in 2024 to 337 158 Bachelor passes.
The top matric learner in South Africa is Rayyan Ebrahim from Pinelands High School in the Western Cape.
Provincial distinctions
The number of distinctions achieved per province in 2023 and 2024 were:
| Province | 2023 | 2024 |
| Eastern Cape | 29 064 | 35 629 |
| Free State | 8 656 | 8 823 |
| Gauteng | 42 927 | 50 389 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 96 986 | 129 132 |
| Limpopo | 23 605 | 30 944 |
| Mpumalanga | 16 162 | 23 311 |
| North West | 9 901 | 11 441 |
| Northern Cape | 1 502 | 2 034 |
| Western Cape | 24 982 | 27 948 |
In 2024 there were 13 527 283 learners in total in the country and a total of 24 850 schools.
Western Cape leads with Maths and Physical Sciences
The Western Cape 2024 matric pass rate of 86,6% is a 5,1% increase on the 2023 pass rate and markedly, the province’s highest National Senior Certificate pass rate ever. The Western Cape’s Bachelor pass rate is also the highest bachelors pass rate the Western Cape has achieved to date.
Markedly, the Western Cape achieved the top Mathematics and Physical Sciences pass rate in the country in the 2023 matric exams. The province’s Mathematics pass rate was 75,4% and its Physical Sciences pass rate was 82,2%.
In the 2024 exams, the Western Cape has again come out on top in these two subjects with a Mathematics pass rate of 78%, and a Physical Science pass rate of 79,4%.
Nationally, 69,1% of learners passed Mathematics, which is an increase from 63,5% in 2023.Â
However, in Physical Sciences, while 75,6% of learners passed, this was a decrease from 76,2% in 2023.Â
Did you watch the matric exam results 2024 announcement event online last night?
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