From bottom to top: uMkhanyakude District celebrates remarkable rise to second place nationally in NSC exams
uMkhanyakude District's remarkable educational turnaround: From the bottom of the rankings to second place nationally in the NSC exams!
Image: Umkhanyakude district/ Twitter
ONCE regarded as one of KwaZulu-Natal’s weakest performing areas, the uMkhanyakude District is rewriting its history by achieving remarkable success.
After 14 years of languishing near the bottom of provincial rankings, the district has emerged as a top achiever in KwaZulu-Natal and secured second place nationally in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.
In 2024, uMkhanyakude District rose to the top, having previously been ranked 75th out of 75 districts. This significant elevation marks a transformative journey for the district.
uMkhanyakude has remained in the top spot for the third year with 93.2%, up from 92.8% in 2024.
The announcement of the NSC results for KwaZulu-Natal's high achievers took place at the Durban Intervention Centre (ICC), where the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, graciously applauded and congratulated the top achievers for their outstanding work.
IOL News previously reported that Thanduyise Joseph “TJ” Motha, the uMkhanyakude District Director, stated that this success was the result of years of building and implementing effective systems.
“It has been a long journey; it didn’t start this year (Class of 2024); it has been happening over time. When I was appointed to uMkhanyakude in 2011, my district was last among the 75 districts in the country,” Motha explained.
“There was no district worse than mine in the country.”
To change this narrative, Motha focused on building a strong team within the district, fostering a culture of capability and innovation.
“I also emphasized the importance of building confidence among the district team, educators, and all those working in the district. What is crucial is not just developing skills but also fostering unity. The strength of one educator can complement the strength of another; if educators do not work as a team, it undermines the entire process,” he said.
Following these efforts to build unity and confidence, the district began to see a positive shift.
“We have been gradually moving up from position 12 in the province, where we were last. We became number 11, then number 10. Last year, we achieved number one after being number two the previous year, and we have consistently ranked in the top three several times. The district has been steadily improving,” Motha noted.
According to a statement released by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, the outstanding performance of the uMkhanyakude District reflects the collective commitment, dedication, and hard work of educators, learners, school management teams, parents, and district officials in advancing quality education outcomes.
"The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education proudly congratulates the uMkhanyakude District for emerging as the Top Achieving District in KwaZulu-Natal and securing second position nationally in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations for the Matric Class of 2025.
“I congratulate the uMkhanyakude District for flying the flag of KwaZulu-Natal high. As a department, we are proud of your achievement,” the statement read.