Eastern Cape, A celebratory atmosphere filled the Southern Sun Hemingways Hotel, as the 2025 Datatec Kutlwanong Promaths Awards honoured top-performing learners from Mdantsane for their exceptional achievements in Mathematics and Physical Science—South Africa’s most critical gateway subjects.
This year’s awards also mark a major milestone: Kutlwanong Centre for Maths, Science and Technology Promaths Programme turns 20. Over the past two decades, this pioneering NGO has helped thousands of learners from under-resourced communities achieve passes of 50% or above in Maths (23,130 learners) and Physical Science (22,148 learners), with 13,896 distinctions (80% or above) across the two subjects to date.
Matric Excellence – Class of 2024
The Mdantsane Promaths Centre’s 2024 matric cohort delivered a resounding performance:
- 96.7% of learners achieved 50% or higher in Maths (up from 91% in 2023)
- 93.3% achieved 50% or higher in Physical Science (up from 84% in 2023)
- 91% of learners achieved 60%+ in Maths, and 64% scored 60%+ in Physical Science
- A total of 209 distinctions were recorded across all subjects
- 52 distinctions were achieved in Maths and Physical Science alone (up from 48 in 2023)
- 19 learners achieved distinctions in both Maths and Physical Science
Topping the list of outstanding performers was Khuseleka Nanto of Masixole High School, who scored 97% in Maths, 93% in Physical Science, achieved six distinctions, and maintained a 95% average across the two subjects. She was closely followed by:
- Hlumelo Nasonti, Ulwazi Secondary School: 94% average across Maths and Physical Science
- Lathita Matyumza, Ulwazi Secondary School: 90% average across Maths and Physical Science
These academic triumphs come at a time when the national picture remains mixed. In the 2024 NSC exams, just 69.1% of learners passed Maths and 75.6% passed Physical Science—figures that, while improving or holding steady, show declining participation rates and highlight urgent systemic challenges.
A Full Pipeline: Recognising the Future Talent
Promaths doesn’t only focus on Grade 12s. Awards were also given to promising Grade 10 and 11 learners, highlighting the success of Kutlwanong’s long-term academic pipeline.
Top Grade 11 Awardees:
- Zibonda Ahlangulwe: 93% Maths & 90% Physical Science (91% aggregate) – Top Achiever Trophy
- Totolo Endinako: Improved from 23% to 87% in Maths – Most Improved in Maths
- Kupiso Simemo: Improved from 32% to 77% in Physical Science – Most Improved in Science
Top Grade 10 Awardees:
- Philani Ngcotsho: 85% in Maths & 80% in Physical Science (83% aggregate) – Top Achiever Trophy
- Thokozane Melento: Improved from 30% to 76% in Maths – Most Improved in Maths
- Mbalentle Ngafunwa: Improved from 48% to 83% in Physical Science – Most Improved in Science
These learners are part of a three-year support programme designed to build foundational strength in STEM, ultimately preparing them for university and careers in finance, commerce, engineering, science, mining and technology.
A National Impact, A Lasting Legacy
Speaking at the ceremony, Maya Makanjee, Chair of the Datatec Board and the Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation, said: “Supporting programmes like Kutlwanong Promaths is not charity—it’s an investment in our nation’s future. These learners represent South Africa’s next generation of problem solvers, innovators, and leaders. As the world races ahead in science and technology, we cannot afford to leave our young people behind.”
Tumelo Mabitsela, CEO of Kutlwanong, added: “Twenty years ago, we started with a mission: to change the narrative around township learners and Maths and Physical Science. Today, the numbers and stories speak for themselves. From Grade 10 to Grade 12, our learners are proving that potential, when nurtured, becomes performance.”
Mdantsane’s Promaths Centre, funded by Datatec for over 14 years, is part of a national network that has consistently contributed to raising the bar in Maths and Physical Science education—two subjects long identified by South Africa’s National Development Plan as vital to economic growth and development.
While Promaths learners make up a fraction of the national cohort, they consistently punch above their weight:
- Contributing 9,86% of all national Maths distinctions in the 2024 NSC Examinations
- Accounting for 11,3% of national Physical Science distinctions in the 2024 NSC Examinations
Looking Forward
As Kutlwanong Promaths looks to the future, its model of targeted, long-term, high-impact academic support remains as relevant as ever, especially in a country grappling with inequality, under-resourced schools, and widening STEM skills gaps.
The 2025 awards event served as both a recognition of extraordinary individual and collective achievement and a powerful reminder of what is possible when commitment, community, and corporate investment come together with a common purpose: to unlock potential and build a better South Africa.
