Despite a historically successful matric pass rate, South Africa’s Stem marks remain stagnant. To inspire future scientists, active engagement from current scientists is essential, fostering talent through visibility, presence and storytelling to bridge educational gaps.
This month, more South Africans than ever celebrated the news that their children passed matric, with the country’s highest pass rate in history (88%). But if you look a little closer, the details tell a much more complex story.
Our marks are not improving, which may seem discordant when we see more and more top African scientists shining on the global stage.
South Africa’s 2025 maths pass rate fell from 69% to 64%, and physics plateaued around 77%, only rising by 1%.