Johannesburg – As South Africa celebrates the Class of 2025 achieving a record-breaking 88% matric pass rate, SA’s leading SME development programme is urging the country to confront the deeper question: What comes after the results?
According to Shawn Theunissen, founder of Property Point and Entrepreneurship to the Point (ETTP), the results are a symbol of progress but also a stark reminder of the economic cliff that many school-leavers still face.
“We are proud of the learners, educators and communities who made this year’s achievement possible,” said Theunissen. “But we must be clear-eyed: a pass is not a pathway. The real test now is whether we can translate academic milestones into economic mobility.”
With 88% of the 927,000 learners having passed the 2025 matric examinations, only a fraction will be absorbed into South African higher education institutions. The majority will instead be left to navigate employment, vocational training, or entrepreneurial pathways, often with limited guidance and limited exposure to what is possible.
Theunissen believes entrepreneurship should be positioned not as a fallback, but as a frontline solution to youth unemployment.
“In our work with young entrepreneurs across the country, we’ve seen that many matriculants are hungry to build something of their own,” he said. “What they often lack is access to information, networks, markets, and mentors.”
Through Property Point and ETTP’s enterprise development initiatives, over 533 small businesses have been supported, many led by young entrepreneurs without formal post-school qualifications but driven to succeed.
One example of how post-school pathways can translate into economic participation is a youth-focused entrepreneurship programme launched in 2025 by Property Point, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and impact investor E Squared Investments. Backed by public funding from the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative and the National Pathway Management Network, the Property Point Real Estate Incubator Programme was designed to support 699 young people in entering the real estate industry as employees or entrepreneurs.
Another example of how alternative pathways can support economic participation beyond formal education is the Social Employment Fund (SEF) work experience programme, also in partnership with the IDC. The initiative offers a 10-month, structured opportunity for participants, many of whom are young adults with matric or trade qualifications, to gain hands-on experience in artisanal and technical fields.
While not limited to recent school-leavers, the programme is particularly valuable for matriculants unable to access tertiary education, offering a monthly allowance tied to meaningful, supervised work.
Theunissen warns that too much emphasis on tertiary education risks ignoring a significant and capable cohort of youth, many of whom are now matriculated, but not formally employed or enrolled.
“There is a hidden pipeline of young entrepreneurs in this country,” he said. “They don’t always come from business schools, but they have grit, creativity, and community insight. If we invest in them, we don’t just reduce unemployment, we build new economies.”
Theunissen believes that scalable entrepreneurship support models should become a core part of South Africa’s post-matric planning, particularly in under-resourced areas.
“Let’s celebrate the 88%, but let’s also ask: How do we get 100% of young people economically active, regardless of their path after school? That’s the goal. That’s the next national milestone we should be aiming for.”
For the Social Employment Fund (SEF) programme, apply here: https://shorturl.at/pw9Wr
For the Property Point Real Estate Incubator Programme, apply here: https://shorturl.at/xzl53
