South Africa’s education system stands at a crossroads. With over 24 850 schools serving millions of learners, the sheer scale of the sector is undeniable.
By Dr Darius Sangari, director of Sangari Education
But beneath the numbers lies a story of persistent struggle—one marked by high dropout rates, alarming learning deficits, and deep inequalities that continue to shape the nation’s future.
A system under strain
Across the country, 15,4-million learners are enrolled in basic education (Grades R–12), while another 1,7-million pursue higher learning. Universities account for 1,15-million of those students. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, public institutions offering practical, skills-based qualifications for trades, technical careers, and mid-level occupations have seen enrolment fall from nearly 589 000 in 2021 to just 482,244 in 2024.
Community Education and Training (CET) programmes, aimed at adult and out-of-school youth, have dropped even more sharply, to 98 000 from 146 000 in 2018. These enrolment trends point to a worrying loss of confidence in alternative education pathways – precisely the ones designed to combat youth unemployment.
The attrition is stark. Only 60% of learners who started Grade 1 in 2013 completed matric in 2024, a figure that includes those who shifted to training colleges after Grade 9.
In TVET colleges, the throughput rate (the percentage who complete their full qualification) hovers at a mere 10%, with 60% of students dropping out within their first year. Among adults over 20, 10,5% have not completed Grade 7 or higher.
Learning poverty: foundation of learning
The learning poverty rate measures the share of 10-year-old children who cannot read and understand a simple, age-appropriate text. In South Africa, that figure stands at 82% in 2024, meaning four out of five children at this critical age lack foundational literacy skills.
For context, the Sub-Saharan African average is 86%, upper-middle-income countries average 32%, and Singapore, a global leader, stands at just 2%. Even among nations with similar GDP per capita (between $4 000 and $7 000), South Africa performs poorly:
- Guatemala: 26%
- Tunisia: 27%
- Egypt: 30%
- Jordan: 32%
- Algeria: 68%
- El Salvador: 69%
STEM performance: global benchmarks
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a global assessment that evaluates math and science knowledge among Grade 4 and Grade 8 learners (locally aligned to Grades 5 and 9 in South Africa). Involving 64 countries and over 580 000 students, it provides a reliable benchmark of foundational STEM competency.
South Africa’s results are sobering. Grade 5 learners ranked dead last among 59 participating countries in both mathematics (362) and science (308), these scores that have declined since 2019. Grade 9 showed a slight improvement in mathematics (397, up from 389), but science scores fell to 362, placing the country 42nd out of 44 nations.
Globally, South Africa ranks 107th out of 141 in skills readiness which is a measure of how well education systems prepare young people for the demands of a modern, technology-driven economy.
Matric pass rates: a statistical mirage
The high matric pass rates we celebrate mask a deeper truth: 40% of learners who began Grade 1 in 2013 never reached matric. The celebrated pass rate reflects only those who survived the pipeline, not the system’s overall effectiveness.
Adult illiteracy: a lingering burden
Nearly 4-million South African adults remain functionally illiterate meaning they are unable to read or write well enough to manage daily tasks. The burden falls heaviest on women (11,3% illiterate versus 9,6% for men) and older generations – 29,2% of 60- to 64-year-olds lack basic literacy.
Even among youth, 221 000 aged 15 to 19 and 96 000 aged 20 to 24 have not completed Grade 7.
Conclusion: A system at a crossroad
South Africa’s education system reflects both ambition and deep structural strain. Despite significant investment and reform, too many learners remain caught in cycles of underperformance, early dropout, and limited opportunity.
Persistent gaps in literacy, numeracy, and skills readiness point to challenges beyond the classroom – rooted in historical inequality, uneven management, governance weaknesses, variable teacher quality, and the socioeconomic hardships that hinder learning.
The data is clear: the system is under pressure, but it also highlights where change must begin. South Africa now faces a defining choice—to manage decline or to drive meaningful, equitable transformation.
- Data presented reflects the most recent available statistics from official and international assessments as of 2024.