By Johnathan Paoli
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has hailed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Class of 2025 as “the pride of the nation”, using a keynote address at the Top Achievers’ Breakfast to emphasise perseverance, character, and the value of excellence beyond examination results.
Gwarube was speaking on Monday morning at the MTN Innovation Centre in Gauteng, where the Department of Basic Education, in partnership with MTN, hosted a celebratory breakfast honouring the country’s top-performing matriculants.
The event formed part of the official programme for the release of the 2025 NSC results and recognised learners from across all nine provinces, including those who achieved outstanding results despite significant adversity.
The event was attended by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Deputy Minister of Basic Education Reginah Mhaule, MTN Chairperson Yolanda Cuba, senior education officials, sponsors, parents, teachers, and the top achievers of the Class of 2025.
In her address, Gwarube framed her message around an ancient Greek myth of a man condemned by the gods to push a boulder up a steep hill, only for it to roll back down each time he reached the summit.
While the story is traditionally interpreted as a symbol of endless suffering and futility, the minister offered a more hopeful reading.
“[T]he eternal optimist in me believes there is another way to read that story. I don’t believe that man was unhappy. I believe he found meaning, even joy, in the pursuit itself. In striving. Because in the pursuit of excellence, in the act of giving your best, there is dignity, purpose, and yes, happiness,” Gwarube said.
She said the story mirrored the experiences of the learners being honoured, many of whom had faced pressure, setbacks, self-doubt, long study hours and personal challenges on their path to success.
“That is why this story matters today. Because every learner we celebrate this morning knows something about pushing a boulder uphill. About late nights, early mornings, setbacks, pressure, self-doubt, and the quiet decision, again and again, to keep going. And today, we gather not just to celebrate the summit you reached, but the pursuit of excellence that brought you here,” she said.
The minister paid tribute to parents and guardians, acknowledging the sacrifices many families had made to support their children’s education.
She said the success of top achievers was inseparable from the discipline, encouragement and belief cultivated at home.
“Behind every high-achieving learner is a home that made sacrifices. A home that chose discipline over comfort, encouragement over despair. You carried emotional, financial, and psychological weight so that your children could focus on learning,” she said.
Turning to teachers, Gwarube described them as “the quiet architects of excellence” who continue to uphold standards despite pressure on the education system.
She praised their commitment to nurturing potential and refusing to give up on learners who may have already lost confidence in themselves.
“In a system often under strain, you continue to show up with commitment, creativity and courage. The achievements we celebrate today are a testament to your professionalism. Without excellent teachers, we cannot get excellent learners,” she said.
Addressing the top achievers directly, the minister said their academic success had expanded what was possible not only for themselves, but also for their families and communities.
However, she cautioned that the moment marked a beginning rather than an end.
“This is not the end of your journey. It is the beginning of a new climb. There will be other hills, other moments when progress feels slow or setbacks feel heavy. Do not be discouraged when the climb becomes steep again,” Gwarube said.
She urged learners to carry forward the habits that produced their success, saying South Africa needed not only their intelligence, but also their character and integrity.
Gwarube also expressed gratitude to MTN for hosting the event and for its continued partnership with the DBE, saying the collaboration symbolised investment in the country’s future.
“Your commitment sends a powerful message to our learners that the private sector believes in them, believes in public education, and believes in South Africa’s future,” she said.
Special recognition was given to learners who achieved excellence despite facing hardship.
Gwarube said their stories demonstrated that success was not defined by the absence of difficulty, but by the refusal to be shaped by it.
“You did not abandon the climb when the boulder rolled back. You found strength and purpose in the pursuit of excellence itself,” she said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
