The Free State Provincial Government honoured the top 100 achievers of the Class of 2025 at the annual Matric Well-Done Function, hosted at the Central University of Technology (CUT) on 16 January 2026.

A total of 38,205 learners sat for the 2025 NSC final examination, with 34,129 learners (89.3%) passing, marking the largest number of passes ever recorded. Of these, 16,728 achieved Bachelor passes (43.8%), 11,926 Diploma passes (31.2%), and 5,407 Higher Certificate passes, highlighting both strong performance and quality outcomes.

CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Pamela Dube, congratulated the Class of 2025 on achieving a historic 88% pass rate, the highest in South Africa’s history. She praised learners for their discipline, perseverance, and hard work, noting that the achievement reflects the collective commitment of learners, educators, parents, and education leaders across the province.

Free State MEC for Education, Dr Mamiki Maboya, congratulated the Class of 2025 for flying the Free State flag high, with special recognition extended to the top 100 achievers. She noted that while more girls were registered for the examinations, boys recorded a slightly higher overall pass rate (90.5% compared to 88.4%). However, girls accounted for the highest proportion of Bachelor passes (44.0%), underscoring the quality of their performance.

Bokang Vincent Mokubung of Bluegumbosch Secondary School received a special recognition as the Best Overall Achiever in Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

Special recognition was awarded to Bokang Vincent Mokubung of Bluegumbosch Secondary School, as the Best Overall Achiever in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, and Johannes Deysel of Jim Fouché Secondary School, as the Overall Top Achiever for excelling in Mathematics.

Johannes Deysel of Jim Fouché Secondary School received the Overall Top Achiever award for excelling in Mathematics. He is flanked by Free State Premier, MaQueen Joyce Letsoha-Mathae and Free State MEC for Education, Dr Mamiki Maboya.

Free State Premier, MaQueen Joyce Letsoha-Mathae, attributed the outstanding results to sustained provincial investment in education, emphasising that the achievements represent a collective victory of resilience, passion, and belief in the power of education.

When congratulating the top achievers, Premier MaQueen said “today, we gather not merely to review statistics, but to celebrate a profound collective victory. Your journey was extremely challenging, and your foundational years were marked by difficulty. Yet, you rose above the obstacles. You persevered, you conquered, and this ceremony stands as a testament to your strength and resilience. Today, we salute you,” she concluded.