matric results muncipalities brightest students

Generic photo of a classroom – Photo: Unsplash

Matric results: These municipalities have the ‘brightest students’ overall

The highest ‘distinctions per learner’ rates can be found in these ten municipalities, according to the latest matric results for 2021.

matric results muncipalities brightest students

Generic photo of a classroom – Photo: Unsplash

The data from the 2021 matric results is coming thick and fast on Friday, after the official numbers were made available by the Department of Education. The pass rate is up on the previous year, and we know which provinces and districts performed the best – but is it possible to find the municipalities with the brightest cohort of students?

Matric results latest: Where are the brightest students overall?

According to Gradesmatch, the answer is yes. The career advice experts, who also publish their analysis of matric results by school and location, have created a list of the 10 best-performing municipalities.

The Class of 2021 came through an extremely challenging two years of disrupted learning, and the 0.2% increase in the pass rate is a testament to their character. But what about the highest honour of them all?

The ‘distinction rate’ is a preferred criteria of measuring success for many. It showcases the best of the best, and puts the focus on the highest achievers in the country – which, allegedly, can mostly be found in these municipalities.

The municipalities with the highest ‘distinctions per learner’

At the top of the tree is the OR Tambo Municipality in the Eastern Cape. By recording almost 0.85 distinctions per learner, the region occupies the #1 spot quite comfortably. Kenneth Kaunda in North West, and Chris Hani in the EC make-up the top three, and eThekwini registers itself as the top-performing metro.

Both Tshwane and Johannesburg make it onto the list, with Thembisile in Mpumalanga ensuring that a fifth province makes it into the top ten. You can see the full standings here:

  1. OR Tambo, Eastern Cape: 0.849 distinctions per learner.
  2. Kenneth Kaunda, North West: 0.667 distinctions per learner.
  3. Chris Hani District Municipality, Eastern Cape: 0.645 distinctions per learner.
  4. Nelson Mandela Municipality, Eastern Cape: 0.618 distinctions per learner.
  5. eThewkini Metro, KZN: 0.618 distinctions per learner.
  6. Tshwane Metro, Gauteng: 0.572 distinctions per learner.
  7. Ugu District, KZN: 0.542 distinctions per learner.
  8. Umgungundlovu District, KZN: 0.529 distinctions per learner.
  9. Thembisile, Mpumalanga: 0.481 distinctions per learner.
  10. Johannesburg, Gauteng: 0.466 distinctions per learner.