President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent well-wishes to the Matric Class of 2025 ahead of their final examinations which began this week, calling it: “a moment … to shine.”

He said: “You’ve got this, Class of 2025,” adding that: “all your years and hours of progressing to this point in your education are assets that you can use to your advantage in these exams.” He urged pupils to focus, noting there may be: “moments of stress and doubt,” but said: “the odds are in your favour,” and that reaching the finals is: “an achievement of which you can be proud.”

However, South Africa’s education system continues to face deep structural challenges. Data seen by The Common Sense shows that fewer than one-in-ten children will complete high school with a 50% or higher pass in mathematics.

Comparative global studies consistently place South African pupils near the bottom of international rankings for maths and science, behind most other emerging markets.

Analysts note that this chronic underperformance is not the result of limited resources, South Africa’s per-pupil spending is comparable to that of its peers, but its educational underperformance stems from systemic inefficiency, widespread corruption, and the damaging influence of certain teachers’ unions that have eroded accountability and professional standards in schools.

Economists warn that poor schooling outcomes are directly feeding South Africa’s high unemployment rate, which remains among the highest in the world.

With weak numeracy and literacy skills, millions of young people leave the education system without the competencies needed to succeed in the modern economy, limiting their access to jobs or further training.