Meet some of the 2025 top 40 matric achievers who shone despite challenges

From falling ill during exams to juggling leadership responsibilities at school, South Africa’s top matric achievers of 2025 have overcome personal challenges to claim a place among the nation’s best.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube addressed a ministerial breakfast with the country’s top 40 matric achievers ahead of the official release of the results on Monday evening. 

One of the top achievers of the Class of 2025, Ngazibini Ntungwa from the Eastern Cape, told IOL she did not expect to be named among the top 40 learners nationally.

However, she said losing her father at a young age and growing up in a single-parent household motivated her to use education to change her family’s circumstances.

She matriculated from Isikhoba Nombewu Technical Senior Secondary School. 

"I didn't expect to be placed in the top 40 because I had difficulties while writing my exams. I was ill at the time, so I was shocked… I’m grateful that I managed to fight through it and work hard to be here,” she said.

She credited support from her teachers, family, and community for her success.

“My teachers had faith in me. They encouraged me when I doubted myself and felt down,” she said, adding that her mother played the biggest role.

“My mum has been praying for me since I started my exams. Even my relatives and the community had high expectations. It was overwhelming, but I’m glad I managed to fulfil them.”

Ntungwa said she hopes to study civil engineering at the University of Johannesburg this year. 

Although the learners have been notified that they are top achievers, they have not yet been told their final marks.

Hopefully, they accept me. I want to keep working hard for my future so that I can make my mum proud and take her out of the village,” she said.

Ntungwa said balancing her academic work with leadership responsibilities was one of her biggest challenges. 

She served as chairperson of the school’s representative council of learners (RCL) and as a class representative.

“Learners were looking up to me, so it was a lot to handle. It was stressful, with many sleepless nights. Sometimes you’re tired in class, but you have to keep going,” she said.

She said her home circumstances were a major driving force behind her determination.

“I was raised by a single mother. My father passed away when I was two years old, and my mother has other children to take care of,” she said.

“She works, but we also had an incident where our house burned down. Things have been hard since then. I want to work hard so I can help my mother and rebuild our home.”

Another top achiever, Thabo Mathake, 18, from the dusty streets of Burgersfort in Limpopo, said he was confident about his performance. 

Mathake attended Leolo Technical High School.

“I’m excited to have breakfast with the minister because I know I performed well. I worked very hard throughout the year,” he said.

Mathake plans to study electrical engineering at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in 2026.

“I love solving problems,” he said, adding that frequent power outages in his village influenced his career choice.

“We experience constant electricity problems, especially at night when studying. Even rechargeable lights didn’t always help. I want to come up with solutions to end load shedding and power outages.”

Another achiever, Angie Ntuli, 18, from Phumzile Secondary School in Mpumalanga, said being informed by email that she was a top learner came as a shock.

“I honestly thought it was a prank. Imagine receiving an email from the Minister of Basic Education. I didn’t expect that at all,” she said.

Ntuli said pressure from teachers and parents was overwhelming at times.

“The expectations were intense, but with support from my mum, my principal and my teachers, I didn’t give up. I believed in myself,” she said.

She encouraged the Class of 2026 to persevere.

“Grade 12 is not easy. Don’t give up, even when things seem tough. Don’t stop dreaming - keep working hard,” she said.

Ntuli plans to study accounting science at the University of Cape Town.

Siyanda Nkuna, 17, from Inkomazi High School in Mpumalanga, said he never imagined he would grace the national stage as a top achiever when he sat his final examinations last year.

“I was very excited when I got an email informing me that I am a top achiever, and my phone even fell because I was so excited,” Nkuna said. 

“According to how I wrote last year, I thought I was not going to get high marks, but God made it possible for me.”

He said 2025 was a demanding year.

“It was very tough because when you are doing Grade 12, you have to go to school early and come back late. When you come back late, you still have to study again, sleep for a few hours, and then go back to school once again in the morning,” he said.

“Sometimes you come back home tired, and you still have to study, and when you study nothing enters your brain.”

Nkuna said prayer played a major role in helping him cope.

“My strategy was to invite God. I started by praying and asking for guidance, as well as attending morning prayers before going to school and even praying before going to the exam centre for God to help me answer tough questions,” he said. “I was scared when writing the exams, but I invited God to hold me by the hand.”

Nkuna plans to study for a Bachelor of Accounting at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Another top achiever, Maria Freercks of Collegiate Girls’ High School in the Eastern Cape, said the achievement felt overwhelming.

“It’s very overwhelming and it feels so surreal, honestly,” Freercks said. 

“The main challenge I faced was time management because I did many activities outside school, not only academics, and balancing everything was difficult.”

She said she was involved in music and participated in a band.

“I applied to universities around the country and I want to study medicine. I would like to go to UCT,” she said.

Her advice to other pupils was simple.

“Work hard, but have balance. Enjoy your last year at school, don’t take it for granted.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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