Matric results 2021

Congratulations to the Minister and Department of Basic Education, all 9 provincial departments, the country's high schools, teachers and, most of all, the record number of 897,163 students who wrote the NSC in 2021 and their parents! This is a truly heroic achievement in the face of the most overwhelming odds. Particular kudos must be given to those who achieved passes and higher under what must surely be the most difficult teaching and learning conditions any peacetime generation has ever faced. Well done!

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has published the matric results for the 2021 cohort, with the group achieving a pass rate of 76.4%.

This is an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to the 2020 matric pass rate (76.2%). 256,031 learners received a Bachelor’s degree pass, and with it, possible entry to one of the country’s universities.

Motshekga noted that 36.4% of matric students achieved a bachelor’s pass (2020: 36.4%), 25.2% achieved a diploma pass (2020: 26%), and 14.8% achieved a higher certificate pass (2020: 13.7%).

A year earlier, 36.4% of matric students achieved a bachelor’s pass and 26% achieved a diploma pass. A further 13.7% achieved a higher certificate pass.

A total of 897,163 candidates registered to write the 2021 NSC examination – an increase of 23.6% from 2020. This includes 733,198 full-time students, the largest full-time cohort over the last few years. A total of 163,967 part-time candidates registered to write the examination.

Presenting the results on Thursday (20 January), Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga said the class of 2021 was the ‘most impacted’ by the Covid-19 pandemic as it endured two years of restrictions and disruptions.

Image source: Department of Basic Education, @DBE_SA