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14 January 2025

Taken for a Ride

Location: News

There’s a little-known municipality in the Free State infamous for alleged mismanagement, questionable tender practices and unapproved expenditure. But even measured against that low bar, the alleged wild spending of the area’s mayor has raised eyebrows. It’s claimed she spent close to R100 000 on a rented vehicle and fuel – in just one month. The municipality may be small, but this story demonstrates how some public servants continue to thumb their noses at law-abiding, taxpayers.
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13 January 2025

President Ramaphosa Commends Matric Class of 2024 on Record Achievements

Location: News

The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa
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President Cyril Ramaphosa commends the Matric Class of 2024 on multiple unprecedented achievements that bear testimony to learners' personal commitment and advances in the basic education sector.

In 2024, 615 429 learners passed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, surpassing the pass rate at any other time in the country's history.

The national pass rate for the National Senior Certificate increased from 82.9% in 2023 to 87.3% last year.

Nearly half of learners who wrote the NSC examinations received a Bachelor pass, while nearly 320 000 distinctions were achieved.

President Ramaphosa said: “The achievements of the Class of 2024 are a proud contribution to and evidence of our progress as a nation during 30 years of freedom and democracy.

“These results reinforce our resolute development of our nation's most valuable resource, our young people. They also provide proof that we are undoing apartheid's planned legacy of intergenerational indignity, disadvantage and poverty for the majority of South Africans.

“These results demonstrate the agency, resilience and pride of the youth of our nation in creating a better future for themselves and for all of us.

“In the public and private basic education sectors, our learners, teachers and parents or caregivers deserve our appreciation, alongside school governing bodies, partners in the private sector, trade unions and academia.

“The doors of learning have swung wide open and we will celebrate each new generation that passes through these doors successfully.

“As Government and our partners in civil society, we must all work together to ensure that learners such as the Class of 2024 are able to take up as many opportunities as we can create for them to succeed.

“This must include the space and inspiration for young people to set their own course as entrepreneurs, innovators, inventors and other embodiments of creativity and self-reliance.

“The achievements of the Class of 2024 must also sharpen our resolve to attend to challenges affecting the education sector and our economic performance. We are confident the Class of 2024 will itself produce some of the answers to these challenges.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

13 January 2025

Government makes quality of education a priority

Location: News

Government makes quality of education a priority

While South Africa has made good progress in expanding education access, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says government must now focus on improving the quality of the education that learners receive.

“Learners must leave our schools with an education and a qualification that allows them to pursue higher education opportunities or enter the job market in order to live lives of dignity,” Gwarube said on Monday.

Addressing the announcement of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results in Johannesburg, the Minister said too many learners progress through the basic education system without mastering foundational skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy, which are critical for performing well in gateway subjects like Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

“These deficits accumulate over time, limiting learners' abilities to succeed in higher grades and in these gateway subjects and diminishing their prospects of accessing further education and employment opportunities.

“This trend manifests itself in the decrease in enrolments in subjects such as Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Accounting and Economics, which are all subjects that are critical for a nation’s ability to advance in science, innovation and economic development,” the Minister said.

In response to these trends, the Department of Basic Education will embark on an urgent strategic reorientation of the system towards strengthening foundational learning.

“Furthermore, provinces, districts and schools must put together plans to arrest the decline of enrolments in critical subjects. The systemic interventions that we will undertake in this regard include expanding access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) for learners before they enter the basic education system and improving the quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase.

“I believe that this strategic reorientation towards ECD and the Foundation Phase will improve the quality of the learning outcomes we are able to achieve throughout the system – from Grades R to 3 in the Foundation Phase, Grades 4 to 6 in the Intermediate Phase, Grades 7 to 9 in the Senior Phase and ultimately Grades 10 to 12 in the Further Education and Training Phase,” the Minister said.

In doing so, more learners are expected to move through schooling with greater confidence to take on and succeed in subjects that set them on a path for personal and professional success.

“Universal access to quality ECD programmes by 2030 remains a central goal. We will continue our mass registration drive to formalise ECD programmes, aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for ECD and supported by newly developed learning and teaching support materials.

“We will also prioritise the professional development of ECD practitioners and their integration into the basic education system, as well as prioritise the resourcing of ECD centres, particularly in rural and underserved communities,” the Minister said.

She said the department would intensify support for teacher training with a strategic focus on improving literacy and numeracy in the Foundation Phase.

“We will also ensure that the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme prioritises students who want to pursue a teaching career in the Foundation Phase.

“During 2025, we will be reviewing the Post Provisioning Norms as a matter of urgency to ensure that they account for our drive to achieve universal access to quality Grade R and our strategic focus on improving reading and calculating in the Foundation Phase,” the Minister said.

These norms have not been updated in over 20 years and determine how educator posts are distributed to public schools.

“By prioritising updates to the National Catalogue of Learning and Teaching Support Materials for the Foundation Phase in 2025, Provincial Education Departments and public schools will be able to purchase textbooks, learning materials and equipment from a comprehensive, educationally sound and linguistically inclusive list that has been specifically approved by experts to achieve national curriculum standards in the Foundation Phase.

“If we are to improve the quality of education outcomes, we need to protect teaching and learning time, ensuring that our teachers are at school and teaching for the entire day, for 230 days per year, to ensure adequate coverage of the curriculum,” said the Minister.

Gwarube announced that 615 429 learners passed the NSC – more than any other time in the country’s history.

South Africa’s national pass rate for the 2024 National Senior Certificate increased from 82.9% in 2023 to 87.3%. - SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Mon, 01/13/2025 - 20:50

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13 January 2025

Class of 2024 achieves historic pass rate

Location: News

Class of 2024 achieves historic pass rate

The Matric Class of 2024 has achieved an overall pass rate of 87.3%, making it the highest matric pass rate in the history of South Africa.

“I am proud to announce that in 2024, 615 429 learners passed the National Senior Certificate (NSC) – more than any other time in our history. South Africa’s national pass rate for the 2024 National Senior Certificate has therefore increased from 82.9% in 2023 to 87.3%,” Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube said on Monday.

Addressing the announcement of the 2024 NSC results in Johannesburg, Gwarube said this was the highest matric pass rate in the history of the country and should be a moment of great pride and celebration for all.

Nearly half of the learners who wrote the NSC examinations received a Bachelor pass.

Bachelor passes

According to the Minister, 47.8% of candidates qualified for admission to Bachelor studies, which is a significant improvement from last year’s 40.9% and represents the highest number of Bachelor passes in recent history.

“This is a 6.9% increase from last year. In 2014, we produced 150 752 Bachelor passes. In just a decade this number has more than doubled in 2024 to 337 158 Bachelor passes.

“It is also encouraging to see that some of our provinces with the highest numbers of learners are achieving high numbers of Bachelor passes.

“In 2024, I am pleased to announce that KwaZulu Natal achieved the highest number of Bachelor passes with 84 470, followed by Gauteng with 66 979 and the Eastern Cape with 45 662,” the Minister said.

Approximately 67% of the Bachelor passes achieved in 2024 came from Quintile 1 to 3 schools, which are typically found in poorer communities.

“This percentage represents an increase from 2023. This means that poorer communities are producing more and more candidates who can go on to become doctors, engineers, accountants and scientists,” she said.

Distinctions

The Class of 2024 achieved an impressive number of 319 651 distinctions.

“This represents a significant increase of over 65 000 distinctions from last year. Some of these increases were seen in key subjects, including Mathematics. I am pleased to report that every province increased the number of distinctions achieved in 2023.

“KwaZulu Natal was once more the top performing province in terms of the percentage of candidates obtaining distinctions, with 10.8% distinction potential achieved.

“Coming in second with 6.3% of distinction potential achieved was the Western Cape, followed by Gauteng with 5.3%. Notable progress was made by Mpumalanga and Limpopo in this regard where we saw this percentage increase by over 1% in 2024 when compared to the results for 2023,” Gwarube explained.

Every province improved on its performance from 2023, and every province achieved above 84%.

Mathematics and Physical Sciences

In 2024, 69.1% of learners passed Mathematics, which is an increase from 63.5% in 2023.

However, in Physical Sciences, while 75.6% of learners passed, this was a decrease from 76.2% in 2023.

“While the number and percentage of learners achieving distinctions in Mathematics increased in 2024 from 2023, the number and percentage of learners achieving distinctions in Physical Sciences has dropped.

“The improvement in performance in Mathematics is encouraging. However, the decreasing participation rates in these key subjects, and the decrease in performance in Physical Sciences, highlight the urgent need to improve foundational literacy and numeracy to ensure that our schooling system produces learners who are confident and capable enough to choose and excel in Maths and Science subjects throughout their schooling career,” the Minister said.

Improvements

In 2024, more high schools achieved a pass rate in the NSC examinations of between 80% and 100% than in 2023.

“In 2023, the number of high schools achieving this was 4 493 and in 2024 this number increased to 5 387 representing 77.7% of our high schools. Also important to note is that the number of underperforming schools has decreased,” the Minister said.

Approximately 97% of learners enrolled for Grade 12 in 2024 ultimately wrote the NSC exams in 2024.

“In 2024, we saw the number of full-time candidates writing the National Senior Certificate examinations increase from 691 160 in 2023 to 705 291 in 2024.

“We also saw the number of learners with special education needs who wrote the National Senior Certificate examinations increase from 5 288 in 2023 to 6 470 in 2024.

Location: MyPR

Company Leverages Its Latest AI-driven Innovations to Expand the Definition of Space Experience LG Electronics (LG) is showcasing an innovative, new solution that extends the convenience and comfort of the LG AI Home into mobility spaces at CES 2025. The “Lifestyle Solution for Mobility” concept vehicle, on display at the company’s booth, introduces the LG …

13 January 2025

Shakatak Is Returning to Cape Town for Just One Show on Saturday, 28th June 2025.

Location: Entertainment, MyPR

Shakatak, the legendary English jazz-funk band, is returning to Cape Town for just one show on Saturday, 28th June 2025. The band, comprising Jill Saward (lead vocals), Bill Sharpe (keys), Keith Winter (guitar), George Anderson (bass) and Roger Odell (drums), will be heading to the Mother City for a night fans will foster, forever. Today …

13 January 2025

Mukuru Launches Mobile Wallet in Zimbabwe to Bolster Financial Inclusion

Location: News

Next-generation financial services platform Mukuru (www.Mukuru.com) has launched a mobile wallet in Zimbabwe called Mukuru Wallet. The secure digital store of value follows Mukuru's award of a Deposit-Taking Microfinance Institution (DTMFI) licence in Zimbabwe by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Building on Mukuru's trusted capabilities, which support more than three-million Zimbabwean customers, the wallet has several benefits, including its standout features: two pockets that allow users to send and receive money locally and internationally from mobile phones, safe storage of funds as well as a free cashout on international transfers.

Marc Carrie-Wilson, Send Money Home Zimbabwe CEO says: “The Mukuru Wallet is a significant development in the country because we have built a reputable brand by consistently ensuring cash availability when needed. To avoid disappointing people who travel long distances to receive their remittances which they use for food, school fees and other essential services, we now have 250 of our own service points. With a network stretching across urban and rural areas, we can reach more people than ever, providing constant cash availability and valuable digital solutions, such as the Mukuru Wallet, to the underserved communities.”

Mukuru Zimbabwe Financial Services CEO, Doug Tait-Knight, says: “Mukuru takes its role as a fintech driving financial inclusion seriously. With this wallet, we tap into our strength which lies in our robust network and technology, as well as our crispy notes that are always available, making this an exciting moment in our evolution in Zimbabwe.

“The wallet environment enables us to start providing additional value such as allowing more affordable domestic money transfers, supporting safety by eliminating the need for customers to walk around with large sums of money, and providing convenience and cost savings, such as paying for electricity, buying airtime, settling DSTV bills and paying for insurance from their couch. Our use of multiple channels also ensures accessibility for our customers,” explains Tait-Knight.

While currently focusing on private end users, soon organisations will be able to partner with Mukuru to make use of its local capabilities and global footprint to facilitate payments, such as distributing money to farmers, supporting payroll for small businesses and securing traceable aid distributions. Various organisations such as Cottco and the United Nations, through the World Food Programme, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) already partner with Mukuru.

Kevin Nyakotyo, Mukuru's Enterprise Sales Manager for Zimbabwe and Zambia, added, “Our success in the end-user sector has enabled us to set in motion plans to enter the business sector. Whether it is for tobacco or cotton, payments made to farmers are often large sums of money. The Mukuru Wallet will make receiving these large sums of money far safer because beneficiaries won't need to draw all their cash at the same time.

“We have a mandate to educate the market based on trends we see, and with this wallet, we are reaching out to both organisations and individuals and giving them peace of mind to know their funds will be safe and can be collected at any time. They can draw an amount that suits them with full confidence the cash will be available wherever they are, whenever they need it,” says Nyakotyo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mukuru.

Notes to Editor:
Mukuru is a leading next generation financial services platform in Southern Africa that offers affordable and reliable financial services to a customer base of over 17 million+ across Africa, Asia and Europe.

With over 100 million transactions to date, our core was built providing international money transfers and from this base, we've developed a set of services to address the broader financial needs of our customers. We now operate in over 60 countries and across over 500 remittance corridors.

We are a business that puts the customer at the centre of everything we do, and for that reason, we serve clients across physical and digital channels, by various payment methods (cash, card, wallet) as well as a range of engagement platforms including WhatsApp, USSD, contact centre, App, website, agents and a branch and booth network.

Mukuru has, for the fifth consecutive year, been listed as one of the top 100 Cross Border Payments businesses in the world in the 2024 FXC Intelligence Top 100 Cross-Border Payment Companies (https://apo-opa.co/3PCjAkY), one of only six African companies to receive this accolade.

In 2023, Mukuru officially ranked sixth on the LinkedIn Top Companies List in South Africa.

Mukuru was celebrated for innovation and excellence at the 2023 Africa Tech Festival Awards, receiving the Fintech Innovation of the Year Award - an acknowledgment of the transformative power of financial technology in driving economic growth, financial inclusion, and digital transformation. Visit www.Mukuru.com to learn more.

Media Enquiries:
Ammaarah Kootbodien
ammaarah@duomarketing.co.za
(+27) 071 529 6449

Kgomotso Hlakudi
kgomotso.hlakudi@mukuru.com
(+27) 073 333 1672

Mthokozisi Dube
mtho.dube@lalataucomms.co.za
(+27) 81 790 2070

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13 January 2025

Class of 2024 commended for their resilience

Location: News

Class of 2024 commended for their resilience

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has commended the 2024 matric top achievers for their resilience and determination.

Gwarube, together with mobile network provider, MTN, hosted a Ministerial Breakfast in honour of 39 matric top achievers on Monday.

Held in Randburg, Johannesburg, the event comes ahead of the official announcement of the 2024 matric results later on Monday .

Congratulating the country’s top achievers, Gwarube said the learners demonstrated that challenges are not roadblocks, but stepping stones to greatness.

Despite punishing poverty levels, with some learners coming from child-headed households, Gwarube said the learners are thriving and putting their future first.

“Many of you do not come from affluent households… Thank you for enduring the hard times. It has been worth it.

“Soon, you will take on the pen and write your beautiful story. The next chapter of South Africa’s story will be exciting because of your work ethic and hard work. Do not view it as a daunting task… the future is yours to shape!” Gwarube told learners.

The Minister also noted that the official announcement of the 2024 matric results will see two extraordinary learners being honoured with a special ministerial award for overcoming immense adversity to achieve excellent results in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

“They’ve showed us that even some of the things that could break many of us, they’ve used it to fuel themselves so that they can strive for better and change their lives,” the Minister said.

She said the department has this year adopted the South African national flower, the protea, as the theme for the 2024 matric result. The protea is a symbol of enduring strength.

“The protea thrives in adversity, with its woody seeds, corns and its roots that are designed to survive even the worst of wildfires. In fact, the seeds of the protea, once ashes have been left behind, nourish the soil, making sure that the flower grows and becomes better than before,” explained Gwarube.

READ | Determination pays off for top achievers

MTN Chief Risk Officer Bradley Swanepoel extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2024.

The matric results will be announced at 6pm. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Mon, 01/13/2025 - 14:28

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13 January 2025

Dunlop Tyres SA Emphasises Road Safety as South Africa Returns to School

Location: MyPR

As the new school year commences, Dunlop Tyres SA urges all road users to exercise increased caution on the roads. Whether driving solo, carpooling, or operating scholar transport services, prioritising tyre safety is crucial to ensuring a safe and smooth journey for everyone. The start of the school year inevitably leads to increased traffic volumes, …

13 January 2025

Determination pays off for top achievers

Location: News

Determination pays off for top achievers

Despite coming from a financially poor background, without parental support, matric learner Thobeka Langa has proven that determination and hard work can change your outcomes.

Aged 17, Thobeka from Rustenburg, North West, was among the country's 2024 matric top achievers, who were honoured by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube during a Ministerial Breakfast held in Randburg, Johannesburg, on Monday.

The 39 top achievers were honoured ahead of the announcement of the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results, which takes place later today.

Speaking to SAnews on the sidelines of the event, Thobeka admitted that she was not expecting to be among the top achievers, especially after a challenging Physics exam.

“It has been a really rough journey, and after writing that Physics Paper, I really thought that all my chances of coming here were shattered, but God had other plans,” said an elated Thobeka.

Thobeka, who is a social grant beneficiary, will be studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Pretoria. She said her dream is to be among those who make an impact in the world.

She emphasised the importance of education as a means of opening up doors to a brighter future.

“As SASSA [South African Social Security Agency] grant beneficiaries, we are often undermined. Having grown up without both parents, I really thought that I would not become anything, but here I am now.

“This is confirmation, clarification, fulfilment, and coming to an end of a marathon. After completing my studies, I will be a qualified engineer, probably specialising somewhere. Maybe I will still be in South Africa or abroad. Who knows?” an optimistic Thobeka said.

Another top achiever, Nqubeko Bekwa from Emzamweni High School in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, said he could not believe that he was among the top students.

The 19-year-old, who will be pursuing his Actuarial Science studies at the University of Cape Town, maintained that in life, there are no miracles, but “one must push hard, have a vision and be disciplined” in order to see positive results.

“You must work hard, even though you feel tired and sleepy. I could not sleep at night because I wanted to be here, and once you change your mind set, everything just happens without any struggle,” Bekwa said.

According to the Department of Social Development, out of 882 336 registered learners who sat for the 2024 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, 697 502 are social grant beneficiaries, representing 79% of registered learners.

“Out of this number, 1 068 of the learners were children who were in conflict with the law during their schooling years,” the department said in a statement.

Gwarube and Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule will announce the NSC results for the class of 2024 in Johannesburg at 6pm. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Mon, 01/13/2025 - 13:29

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13 January 2025

Brainline – Increase in Matric Results Showcase Learners’ Tenacity and Self-Reliance in the Online Education Sector

Location: MyPR

Online Education Provider, Brainline, says the increase in the matric results of the Class of 2024 is a testament to the learners’ commitment and tenacity to thrive in an online environment. Brainline’s matric results have increased with from 88.2% in 2023 to 88.8% in 2024. The Department of Basic Education will release the final matric …

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