The Northern Cape has shown the “highest improvement” among all provinces in its matric pass rate, rising from 66% in 2020 to 71.4% in 2021. However, its pass rate remains well below the national average of 76.4%. 

“Although the overall pass rate in the province has increased with 5.4%, we regrettably still remain below the national average of 76.4%. This remains a concern, and more needs to be done to attain a pass rate not less than the national average,” Northern Cape premier Zamani Saul said on Friday.  

“Concerted efforts must be made to ensure that this is achieved in 2022, and this must form part of our turnaround strategy to improve learning outcomes across all grades.”

In 2020, the Northern Cape obtained a 66% pass rate, the lowest in the country. However, on Thursday evening, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga commended it as the province with the “highest improvement”, with a 71.4% pass rate.

Read in Daily Maverick: South Africa’s matric pass rate improves slightly to 76.4% despite ‘extremely difficult circumstances’

This is an improvement of 5.4% from 2020. 

A total of 12,726 candidates in the province wrote the 2021 National Senior Certificate exams, according to Northern Cape education department spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe.