The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has announced a National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam pass rate of 82.9%. The 2023 NSC pass rate is an improvement of 2.8% (80.1%) and 6.5%(76.%) from the pass rates achieved by the Classes of 2022 and 2021 respectively.
Candidates who wrote during 2023 are now able to collect their statement of results from their exam centres as well as view their matric results online.
One of the major features of the ministerial announcement is announcing how the different provinces performed in the NSC exams.
The minister noted that KwaZulu-Natal contributed significantly with 72,099 Bachelor passes, while Gauteng followed closely with 56,552.
Combined, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng contributed 128,651 Bachelor passes, making up 45.5% of the total Bachelor passes achieved in the 2023 NSC exams.
Provincial Pass Rate Improvements
Free State maintained its position as the top-performing province with an 89.0% pass rate, showing a 0.5% increase from the previous year.
KwaZulu-Natal secured the second spot and emerged as the third most improved province, boasting an 86.4% pass rate, marking a substantial 3.4% increase from 2022.
Gauteng achieved an 85.4% pass rate, reflecting a 1.0% improvement from 2022. Meanwhile, the North West achieved 81.6%, demonstrating a notable increase of 1.8% from the previous year. The Western Cape achieved an 81.5% pass rate, indicating a slight 0.1% improvement from 2022.
The Eastern Cape achieved an 81.4% pass rate, showcasing an impressive 4.1% improvement from the previous year. Limpopo, recognized as the most improved province, achieved a 79.5% pass rate, reflecting a significant 7.4% improvement from 2022.
Mpumalanga achieved a 77.0% pass rate, experiencing a modest 0.2% increase from 2022. In contrast, the Northern Cape claimed the last position with a 75.8% pass rate, showing a 1.6% increase from the previous year.
2023 Provincial Matric Pass Rates
Free State - 89.0%
- 347 Schools
- 47 schools achieved a 100% pass rate
- Only one school in the province achieved a matric pass rate between 40% to 59.9%. This is the lowest pass rate achieved by a school in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal - 86.4%
- 1 760 schools
- 246 schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 1 schools achieved a 0% matric pass rate
Gauteng - 85.4%
- 917 schools
- 141 schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 3 schools achieved a 0% matric pass rate
North West - 81.6%
- 447 schools
- schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 1 school achieved a matric pass rate between 0% - 19.9%, which is the lowest pass rate bracket in the province.
Western Cape - 81.5%
- 454 schools
- 63 schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 1 school achieved a pass rate between 20% to 39% which is the lowest pass rate bracket in the province.
Eastern Cape - 81.4%
- 953 schools
- 43 schools achieved a matric 100% pass rate
- 13 schools achieved a pass rate between 20% to 39% which is the lowest pass rate bracket in the province
Mpumalanga - 77.0%
- 569 schools
- 24 schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 1 school achieved a pass rate between 0 - 19% which is the lowest pass rate bracket in the province.
Limpopo - 79.5%
- 1 302 schools
- 69 schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 1 school achieved a 0% matric pass rate
Northern Cape - 75.8%
- 145 schools
- 9 schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%
- 2 schools achieved schools achieved a pass rate between 20% to 39% which is the lowest pass rate bracket in the province
Number Schools That Achieved A 100% Pass Rate From 2019 To 2023
- Eastern Cape - 1
- Free State - 12
- Gauteng - 21
- Kwazulu-Natal - 26
- Limpopo - 4
- North West - 6
- Northern Cape - 2
- Western Cape - 9
