The Matric Class of 2023 have made history, achieving the highest past rate since the dawn of democracy.
While at the Mosaiek Church in Fairland, Johannesburg on Thursday, Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, announced that the Class of 2023 had attained an 82.9% pass rate. That rate was 2.8% higher than the year before.
Motshekga went on to commend the class for this exceptional feat.
“The Class of 2023 showed the greatest determination, fortitude and resolve to overcome all odds.”
The national top achiever hailed from the Western Cape. 18-year-old Melissa Müller, from Rhenish Girls’ High School in Stellenbosch, was named the country’s top student in public schools.
The numbers behind the exams
More than 890 000 candidates across the country sat to write the 2023 National Senior Certificate examinations. Over 10 million question papers were printed, for 6898 exam venues. In those exam rooms, 72 500 people invigilated the exams – later on more than 52 000 people ensure that those exams were marked.
The provinces’ performance
The highest number of matric passes for 2023 was recorded in the Free State with an 89% pass rate. Kwa-Zulu Natal followed with 86% and Gauteng, came third, with 85%. The fourth highest number of passes was recorded in North West and the Western Cape came in fifth with 81,5%.
The lowest pass rate was recorded in Mpumalanga.
It is worth noting that increases in province-specific pass rates were recorded across all nine provinces – compared to 2022.
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