By Charmaine Ndlela
All nine provincial education departments across South Africa have confirmed their state of readiness to ensure the smooth and incident-free administration of the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, said the province was “fully prepared” for the start of the NSC examinations, reaffirming the department’s commitment to academic excellence.
“Our provincial vision remains clear: every learner who sits for the final examination must pass. We know that external factors sometimes make a 100% pass rate difficult, but we are determined not to fall below 95%,” said Hlomuka.
In the Western Cape, the Department of Education has confirmed full readiness, with 77,442 candidates set to write the final exams — 67,606 full-time and 9,836 part-time or repeat candidates.
The province noted that two subjects have only one registered candidate each: Lesotho First Additional Language and Setswana Home Language.
The Northern Cape Department of Education also confirmed that all systems are in place for the successful and credible delivery of the 2025 NSC exams.
“The registration of examination centres underwent a comprehensive audit by provincial and district officials using a national monitoring tool. A total of 148 centres have been registered across the province,” the department said.
A total of 16,056 candidates have been registered — 14,210 full-time and 1,846 part-time.
Additionally, 148 chief invigilators have been appointed and trained to manage and monitor exam processes across the province.
“We urge the Class of 2025 to approach their examinations with honesty, discipline, and integrity, in line with the oath they have taken. With confidence, we believe that the Class of 2025 will rise to the occasion and make the Northern Cape proud,” the department added.
In the Free State, all plans and logistics for the October/November NSC examinations have been finalised. A total of 48,141 candidates will be writing — 39,352 full-time and 8,789 part-time.
The department reported 100% operational readiness:
- – Concessions: All 3,726 applications processed.
- – Exam Centres: All 409 centres registered or audited; 19 independent centres accredited by Umalusi.
- – Personnel & Venues: All monitors, chief invigilators, and invigilators appointed and trained. Venues meet standards for lighting, spacing, and furniture, with resident monitors assigned to high-risk centres.
- – Learner Communication: Admission letters issued to all learners.
The 409 centres are distributed as follows:
- – Thabo Mofutsanyana: 113 centres (13,770 candidates)
- – Motheo and Mangaung (MMED): 125 centres (14,660 candidates)
- – Lejweleputswa: 76 centres (10,110 candidates)
- – Fezile Dabi: 65 centres (7,392 candidates)
- – Xhariep: 30 centres (2,209 candidates)
The department wished the Class of 2025 “a good run and excellent results.”
In Limpopo, Premier Phophi Ramathuba urged matriculants to aim for a top-five national ranking, calling on learners to surpass last year’s performance through dedication and community support.
The province has registered 127,000 learners (full-time and part-time) across 1,648 examination centres.
Gauteng has confirmed full readiness, with 192,745 candidates registered and 1,040 centres audited and deemed compliant.
Invigilators have been trained, and security measures strengthened.
The province has also rolled out “high-flyer” and “just-in-time” revision programmes to support learners.
In the North West, the Department of Education said preparations are complete, following an audit by Umalusi.
The department hosted a Provincial Prayer and Pledge Signing Ceremony on 17 October 2025, where Grade 12 learners committed to upholding examination regulations and avoiding irregularities.
The Mpumalanga Department of Education has also confirmed readiness, with 583 examination centres successfully audited. MEC Lindi Masina said candidate registration was finalised through the SA-SAMS system, with data uploaded by 30 June.
“A total of 69,980 candidates have registered to write the 2025 NSC examinations — an increase of 2,749 from last year,” said Masina.
The 2025 NSC examinations will officially begin on Tuesday, 21 October, with learners writing Computer Applications Technology, and conclude on 27 November 2025.
The Minister of Basic Education will announce the national and provincial pass rates on Monday, 12 January 2026, and individual results will be released the following day.
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