The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed that the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results will be made available to accredited newspapers for publication on 13 January 2026, in the same format used in recent years – namely, examination numbers and results only, with no names, surnames or ID numbers.
The Department says it is legally obliged to publish the results in this pseudonymised format, as the court order granted on 18 January 2022 expressly requires this approach. This order remains in force.
The DBE has further confirmed that it will oppose the application for leave to appeal by the Information Regulator (IR), which has been involved in a legal dispute with the Department over the publishing of matric results since 2022. Judgment in a recent urgent application by the IR was reserved.
The Information Regulator’s case is that results can only be published in the newspapers with parental consent for learners who are below 18 or with the consent of the learners who are above the age of 18.
But the Department says its opposition to the IR’s ongoing case is pursued in the best interests of learners, their families, and the education sector.
The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, says the publication of NSC results in accredited newspapers has long been an important and accessible method for learners and parents to obtain results timeously.
“We will continue to follow the established, court-endorsed practice of publishing the results without identifying learners in a manner that balances accessibility with the protection of personal information.”
Gwarube says the Department remains committed to legal compliance, learner protection, transparency, and accessibility, while ensuring that the rights and dignity of every learner are respected.
