Close to half of South African adults remain without a matric qualification, according to the latest General Household Survey released by Statistics South Africa. The 2025 data reveals that approximately 18.9 million people aged 20 and older—representing 47.1% of the adult population—have not completed Grade 12, despite measurable improvements over the past two decades.
The survey presents a nuanced portrait of the nation’s education landscape. While access to schooling and foundational literacy have advanced steadily, persistent inequality and increasing reliance on state support systems, including no-fee schools and government feeding schemes, continue to shape outcomes.
Prof. Gezani Baloyi, Head of Quality Assurance and Enhancement at UNISA’s College of Graduate Studies, noted that the statistics reflect more than an educational gap—they signal broader economic exclusion. “These young adults do not have matric certificates, and in 2002 only 30% had a matric certificate. In 2025, 52.9% had the matric certificate,” Prof. Baloyi explained. “This means some youth are employed—about 51.9%—while 58.1% are not in education, employment or training. Only 3% are in colleges and 5.2% at universities.”
Multiple factors contribute to learners not completing matric, including academic performance challenges, family commitments, and financial constraints—even within the no-fee school framework.
Despite these challenges, the data highlights meaningful progress. Functional illiteracy has declined sharply from 28.5% to 8.7% over twenty years. Prof. Baloyi credited mass literacy initiatives such as the Kha Ri Gude campaign and university-led outreach, including UNISA’s work in correctional facilities under Prof. Mahal, for driving these gains. “When people can read and write, they can function within the community and support their children with schoolwork,” Prof. Baloyi said.
Additional improvements include increased household internet connectivity, access to formal housing, electricity, improved sanitation, and piped water—infrastructure advances that Prof. Baloyi described as foundational to expanding quality education access.
Early Childhood Development (ECD) attendance has also risen, with 86.3% of children having attended ECD facilities. However, only 36% of children under five currently participate in formal learning environments, raising concerns about long-term educational trajectories. “Research shows that brain development in formative years is critical,” Prof. Baloyi noted, adding that current adult literacy challenges may partly reflect gaps locked in decades ago.
Looking ahead, Prof. Baloyi questioned whether matric alone remains the most relevant benchmark for functional capability in a modern economy. “We are leaning towards innovation and TVET colleges,” Prof. Baloyi stated. “Out of these 18.9 million, I think the majority have Grade 10. They can go to TVET colleges, engage with matric rewrite programs, or attend public learning centers. Even without matric, they can be trained in skills and competencies.”
Prof. Baloyi emphasized the importance of learnerships, practical experience, strategic partnerships, and alignment with global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals. “As a country, we are concerned with education for all by 2030. We must have quality teaching and learning, vocational education and training, and innovation—and we need to remove barriers so that everybody can learn wherever they are.”
A further concern is the decline of adult education centers in some communities. Prof. Baloyi called for renewed investment in these spaces, noting that when parents and adult learners gain literacy skills, they are better equipped to support children’s education and promote “reading for meaning”—an area still requiring focused attention.
As South Africa works toward the 2030 SDG targets, the data underscores both the distance travelled and the road ahead: celebrating hard-won gains in literacy and access while confronting the structural barriers that continue to exclude millions from educational and economic opportunity.
