How Gauteng’s matrics beat the odds with candles, ‘cross-nights’ and commitment

Hundreds and thousands of matriculants from all corners of South Africa descended on their former high schools, many of them for the last time, on Wednesday, 13 January 2026.

The same hallways that were filled with anxiety and sometimes overwhelming pressure only a couple of months ago were now filled with excited shrieks and overjoyed students embracing as many in the Class of 2025 collected their National Senior Certificates (NSC) and celebrated the historic 88% they all had a hand in making a reality.

The same could be said for Florida Park High School and Kaalfontein Secondary School, cast on different ends of Johannesburg, which although differently resourced were among the best-performing schools in Gauteng.

Kaalfontein Secondary School

At Kaalfontein Secondary School, a no-fee public school in Ivory Park, Tembisa, former Grade 12 students gathered in a tent on the premises for a ceremony hosted by the school.

The school is designed to accommodate just over 1,100 learners, but now hosts more than double that number. The matric class achieved an impressive 96.1% pass rate with a 61% Bachelor’s pass, down slightly from last year’s 96.7% . The result places the school among Gauteng’s top performers, despite the structural pressures it faces daily.

In the tent the learners danced, sang, listened to music and celebrated their achievements. Kaalfontein Principal Rivalani Makhubele addressed both the outgoing and incoming matrics before handing over the certificates they worked so hard to achieve.

“Against all odds, you have done it. You have passed, and for that you must congratulate yourselves,” Makhubele said.

To the nine learners who unfortunately did not pass, the Kaalfontein Secondary School principal added: “I know it is painful to see 208 of your peers passing matric, but you are one of the nine who failed. So wherever you are seated, remember this, come January next year, we will be handing over certificates to you.”

He thus suggested that the school would not let those learners fall through the cracks.

Recipe for academic success

Makhubele attributed the school’s success to an aggressive academic support programme and what he described as “positive competition” among staff. Describing the typical schedule of a Grade 12 learner, he said they began their school day at 7am, attended additional afternoon classes until 4pm, and give up most Saturdays to structured revision. As final exams approached, learners attended intensive overnight study sessions known as “cross-nighting”, which ran from 6pm to 6am the following morning.

One pupil who underwent this gruelling schedule was 17-year-old Nkensani Ngoveni, who said she often had to face challenges, including unreliable electricity, limited access to textbooks and reading materials.

“I couldn’t study well; I had to use candles and sometimes rechargeable lightbulbs. It was hard, but I got help from my teachers, and Mr Makhubele was with me throughout the way,” Ngoveni said.

Despite the challenges, Ngoveni managed to become one of the top achievers at Kaalfontein, securing six distinctions and pushing her closer to her dream of studying medicine at Wits or UCT. For this, she credits the aggressive academic support programme.

“I managed because of the Saturday schools and the cross-nights and staying after school to do homework. Overall, it was a good process,” she said.

Yet success has not erased the school’s most pressing challenge: overcrowding. With rapid housing developments and informal settlements expanding around Clayville, Kaalfontein Secondary now enrols approximately 2,500 learners – more than twice its intended capacity. The strain affects everything from classroom space to furniture durability, despite regular departmental deliveries.

“Overcrowding brings many other challenges,” Makhubele said. “But it’s a situation many schools in Gauteng find themselves in.”

As matriculants prepare to enter tertiary education or the job market, Makhubele’s message to his learners is rooted in resilience. He reminds them that they have already succeeded “against the odds”, academic, social and structural, and must carry that confidence forward.

“We turn stones into gold. When you go out there, you are gold. You just have to keep shining,” he said.

Florida Park secures 96% pass rate

Across Johannesburg, at fee-paying Florida Park High School, nestled in a well-maintained suburb in Roodepoort, teachers, learners and the principal celebrated as students trickled in to collect their certificates.

At the gate, Daily Maverick was greeted by 18-year-old Kayla Raylene Timm, who had just learned she had obtained a Bachelor’s certificate, with distinctions.

“Mama, I made it,” she exclaimed. “There are so many emotions, you can’t even imagine, but now I can go study digital marketing and hopefully travel overseas next year.”

Timm credits her teachers for getting her to the finish line, adding that they were on the ball from the beginning.

Experienced teachers went “all out”, providing Saturday interventions, holiday classes, and targeted support for progressing learners from Grade 11. Principal Phumulani Sithole highlighted the School Governing Body (SGB) and district resources enabling comprehensive learner aid.

“It was 24/7. Classes all the time. Every Saturday there was class. Your Saturday was not yours; it was not the teachers’ either; it was the school’s Saturday. It helped to push us and keep us on track,” Timm said.

Florida Park High School recorded a 96.4% pass rate for 2025, down just 1.2% from the previous year’s 98%, yet was still among the province’s elite. Sithole expressed pride in overcoming the challenges through learner commitment, parental involvement and district backing.

“It’s still a high result. We are so proud of our performance. It was a time of so many challenges, but we made it through our learners – they showed that they are willing to work, and we had the support from the parents, we had the support from the district,” he said.

In the school’s hall, an emotional Ashley Swanepoel pulled her son Luke into a tight hug.

“This is my baby, this is my son, my baby passed,” she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

Across Gauteng, stories like Kaalfontein and Florida Park help explain how the province’s top-performing schools, regardless of resources, drove the 2025 matric cohort to its strongest showing yet.

They provide examples of replicable strategies for schools across resource spectrums, emphasising collaboration over funding alone. The province’s best performers demonstrated that “going all out” through structured interventions and unwavering support can yield historic results.

As Sithole reflected: “It also like encourages us to say that we did not let the district down.” This approach promises to inspire nationwide improvements in future matric cohorts. DM