Despite challenges and learning gaps caused by Covid-19 and loadshedding the learners persevered and achieved a 80.1% pass rate, an improvement of 3,7% from 2021. The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga announced the results on Thursday evening during the award ceremony in Johannesburg. 

PROVINCES PERFORMANCES

The Free state has once again came tops at 88.5%, an improvement of 2.8 % from the previous year. Gauteng came second at 84.4% an increase of 1.6% from last year, KwaZulu-Natal is the best improved province with 83% , an increase of 6.2 % from 2021, Western Cape achieved 81.4%, an improvement of 0.2% from 2021.  North West 79.8% an increase of 1.6 %,  Eastern Cape became the third best improved province with 77.3% with an increase of 4.2% matric pass rate from 2021. Mpumalanga achieved 76.8%, an increase of 2,9% increase from the previous year,  Northern Cape 74.2% with an increase of 2,7 % while Limpopo became the second improved province with a 72.1%, an increase of 5.3% from 2021.

RESILIENT

Motshekga said the class of 2022 faced significant challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, starting in their grade 10 year in 2020. "This signals that the education system is incrementally dealing with concerns," she said. Between part time and full time candidates the matrics of 2022 were between the ages of 16 and 20 when they enrolled. Motshekga said it was important to note that the girl candidates were more age appropriate than their boy counterparts. "They were part of the Early childhood development in 2010 and formally started school in 2011 doing their grade 1. They had a solid learning foundation and they are significant in that they are the first group to have 12 subjects with Sign language added to their curriculum."

BACHELOR PASSES

The minister said 278 714 candidates achieved a Bachelor pass, an improvement from 2021. Matric 2022 has the highest number of Bachelor passes in the National Senior Certificate with Gauteng and KZN owning it. Both provinces contributed 127 968 Bachelor passes, an improvement of 8, 7 from 2021 and an overall of 45,9% nationally.  The number of candidates with a diploma pass are 193 357 an improvement of 8.9% from 2021.

"Higher certificate candidates are 108 159 and those who passed with a National Senior Certificate are 117, an improvement of 13.6%. A total of 218 730 Distinctions were achieved between KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng, Western cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga," Motshekga said.