Lesufi wishes the Class of 2025 well ahead of NSC exams

With just hours to go before the start of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has wished the Class of 2025 well ahead of them putting pen to paper.

“On behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government, I

wish the Class of 2025 all the best in their upcoming final examinations. May your hard work and dedication throughout the year bear fruit as you prepare for these exams, which mark the culmination of your basic education,” the Premier said in a statement on Sunday.

This year, a total of 188,057 candidates have registered to write the NSC exams in Gauteng (144,315 full-time and 43,742 part-time learners).

The NSC exams will begin on Tuesday, 21 October 2025. The first day of the examinations will begin with the Computer Applications Tech P1, Practical exam in the morning session, followed by the Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu HL P1, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu FAL P1  Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu SAL P1, Hebrew SAL P1, German HL, and SAL P1 in the afternoon session.

The provincial government said that it has consistently maintained its position among the top three performing provinces in the NSC examinations. In 2024, the province achieved an 88.4% pass rate, placing it third nationally behind the Free State (91%) and KwaZulu-Natal (89.5%).

“The examinations will take place at 1,007 centres across the province (741 public schools, 267 independent schools, and 25 designated centres). Throughout the year, the Gauteng Provincial Government has worked tirelessly to support and prepare the matriculants for success.

“All parents and guardians are called upon to support the learners throughout the exam period. Systems have also been put in place to mitigate potential disruptions, such as service delivery protests and operational challenges, ensuring that all learners can write their exams under safe and conducive conditions,” it said.

The provincial government said it remains confident that the Class of 2025 will continue the province’s proud tradition of academic excellence and resilience.

Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, will hold a press briefing on Monday, 20 October 2025, to present the state of readiness for the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations. 

READ | Gwarube to brief media on 2025 matric exams readiness

The annual matric exams are an important milestone in South Africa’s basic education calendar. -SAnews.gov.za