There was celebration and relief in equal measure at Nomzamo Senior Secondary School as the Class of 2025 achieved an impressive 91.5% pass rate, improving on last year’s 86.4%. Out of 153 learners who sat for the National Senior Certificate exams, 140 passed a result that teachers say is the product of sacrifice, teamwork and sheer determination.
The school produced 53 Bachelor passes, 59 Diploma passes and 28 Higher Certificates, with learners earning eight distinctions overall.
Deputy Principal Mr Samkelo Dambuza could hardly hide his joy. He described staff as “over the moon”, saying the entire school community is beaming with pride.“With 153 matric students, it is remarkable to get such a pass rate, considering the number of learners is often considered a risk factor,” he said. “We achieved this by intensifying our extra-lesson regime. We had incubation classes where learners and teachers were here every day, even on weekends, sometimes sleeping on the school premises. Teachers constantly motivated learners and helped them with material.”
Dambuza expressed deep gratitude for staff members. “I would like to thank the teachers. They committed themselves wholeheartedly to this class. They worked relentlessly to ensure each student’s needs were met, taking time out of their personal lives. That is not something I take lightly,” he said.
He also credited the Department of Education for its support. Learners were provided with tablets and benefitted from JEN classes, a programme run with the Eastern Cape Department of Education targeting Grade 12 learners. The programme focuses on subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Geography, Accounting and Mathematical Literacy, helping to close learning gaps left by the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen exam readiness.
Behind the statistics are personal stories of effort and quiet perseverance none more so than second place achievement Zintle Kondile. Radiating pride, she described the moment she learned her results. “I feel very happy, not only for myself but for my school,” she said. “It has been so long since the school achieved an average above 90%. As the class of 2025 we were able to do that. I obtained a Bachelor pass with two distinctions, and I’m really proud.”
Kondile plans to study Education at either Nelson Mandela University or the University of the Western Cape.
Her recipe for success was rooted in discipline and support. Nomzamo’s incubation classes every morning, afternoon and Saturday sessions formed the backbone of her preparation. After school, she would revise daily lessons, study late at night when it was quiet, and make extensive use of past papers. The tablets provided by the Department allowed her to access YouTube lessons for extra revision.
Looking back over the year, she said she felt well supported by the school environment and did not feel that external challenges overshadowed their efforts.
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, January 15, 2026. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
