Thousands of South African matriculants hoping to pursue careers in engineering and other technical fields could find themselves shut out of their preferred qualifications next year because they lack the required Mathematics marks.
With the Class of 2026 currently writing their final examinations, the country’s latest Mathematics figures offer cause for concern. Just 34.1% of matric candidates took Mathematics in 2025, and only 13.5% of those who wrote the subject achieved 60% or higher.
Meanwhile, the need to develop more technically qualified graduates is becoming increasingly urgent. According to Department of Higher Education and Training data, engineering graduates from South Africa’s public universities fell from 12,058 in 2014 to 10,805 in 2024, a decline of more than 10% over the decade. The department has specifically identified low initial enrolment linked to matric Mathematics and Science results as one possible reason for missed engineering graduate targets.
This is particularly alarming given the scale of South Africa’s infrastructure needs. Engineers are essential to expanding the electricity grid, improving water infrastructure, modernising transport networks, and developing new schools, hospitals, and housing. Without enough suitably qualified professionals, the country risks struggling to deliver the projects needed to support economic growth.
And the demand for strong mathematical skills extends beyond engineering. Data scientists help businesses make better use of information, while software developers build the digital systems on which companies increasingly depend. These skills are crucial to South Africa’s ability to attract investment and compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
With fewer engineering graduates entering the workforce, and Mathematics underpinning so many other important careers, tertiary institutions urgently need to find more ways to help capable young people qualify.
Giving students another way into technical education
For tertiary institutions, the challenge is to help capable young people who may have chosen different subjects at school or fallen short of the Mathematics marks required for their preferred qualifications. Their academic results may limit their immediate options, but they should not necessarily put an end to their career ambitions.
A first step is making alternative study routes easier to understand and access. Students who fail to meet the requirements for their first-choice qualification should be able to identify other recognised routes into their chosen field, including what they would need to achieve to progress.
Foundation programmes are one such option, allowing students to strengthen their academic knowledge and rebuild their confidence in their abilities before progressing into more demanding technical qualifications. At the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE), for example, foundation programmes in engineering, architecture, and information technology provide students with opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge required for further study.
These programmes must maintain rigorous academic standards, with progression dependent on demonstrated competence. Lowering requirements without addressing gaps in knowledge would simply leave students struggling at a later stage.
Getting students through to graduation
Academic support should also continue beyond admission. Students entering technical qualifications with weaker mathematical foundations may need additional tutorials or supplementary modules alongside their studies, particularly in subjects where mathematical concepts become progressively more complex.
There is also room to make technical teaching more practical. A student who battled with the abstract nature of algebra at school may understand its relevance better when applying it to an engineering calculation or working with measurements in a technical drawing. Connecting mathematical theory to real applications can help students strengthen their understanding while developing the skills their qualifications demand.
Ultimately, with engineering graduate numbers already under pressure, our country cannot afford to overlook young people who could succeed with appropriate academic support.
For the students themselves, the consequences are even more significant. Being able to pursue a technical qualification could open the door to a rewarding career and greater financial independence, while giving South Africa more of the skilled professionals it needs. We should be doing everything reasonably possible to ensure that capable young people have that opportunity, even when they do not achieve the matric results they may have hoped for.
By Leon Smalberger, CEO of the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE)
