• 12 024 full-time and 1 139 part-time candidates from 233 examination centres writing in 261 venues across Southern Africa wrote the IEB National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
• News24 spoke to some of the top achievers, who couldn’t be happier with their results 
• Top schools Elkanah House achieved a 91.5% matric pass rate and St Cyprians School for Girls, 100%.

Some of the country’s top matric achievers in private schools say 2020 proved to be a stressful time for them emotionally. The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) released its matric results for the class of 2020, with the group achieving a pass rate of 98.07%.

Aliya Swart, who matriculated from Elkanah House, said she could not be more proud of the results she achieved. “I set my goals and somehow through Covid I managed to achieve them. I was all nerves last night but all joy this morning,” she said.

She said the hardest part was the uncertainty surrounding exams and what was happening with school.

“It definitely was a learning curve for everyone because we were all in the same boat.” Swart said she will be studying medicine at Stellenbosch University.

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Another matriculant Ethan Poole said teamwork with his peers was a great help during the pandemic: “It was difficult through all the stress during the pandemic but we got through it together. Its good to see the hard work pay off,” he said.

Elkanah House had 85 matriculants. They achieved a 100% matric pass rate. The school held a drive-by for students to collect their results in line with Covid-19 regulations.

Executive Head of Elkanah House Vivian Jones said: “Last year was very anxious because we were learning on a weekly basis with changes, we didn’t know how this would play out. I am overwhelmed with the matric results I am very proud of the teachers. I believed that teachers pulled a rabbit out of a hat.”

St Cyprians School for Girls achieved a 100% matric pass rate. They had around 67 matriculants.

Matriculant Rory Stevens received 100% in mathematics: “It was the most difficult period of my life, I never cried so much. I really took this time to realise how easy I had it, I had amazing support, the school was really amazing and I had great teachers who was always a call away.” Stevens said she hopes to study chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town.

12 024 full-time and 1 139 part-time candidates from 233 examination centres writing in 261 venues across Southern Africa wrote the IEB National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in October and November 2020. This is an increase from 2019 when there were 11 818 full-time candidates and 779 part-time candidates.

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