“For many of these young people Bachelor passes will not just open a door; it will change a family’s story. It may mean the first university graduate in that home. The first teacher, lawyer, doctor, engineer or scientist in that family line. The first person able to break a cycle that has held generations back.”

These were the words of Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education, when she announced the 2025 matric results.

However, the truth is that with more than 345 000 matriculants of 2025 achieving Bachelor passes nationally, universities across South Africa are unable to accommodate the flood of first-year applications they receive. With limited spaces, not all the newly matriculated youth will be able to attend university this year.

Overwhelming demand exceeds capacity

Many universities across South Africa have also indicated they are unable to accommodate everyone.

The University of Johannesburg received more than 450 000 applications and can accommodate only 11 200 students.

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) received more than 160 000 applications, but has space for only 5 800.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology indicated that they can only make provision for 9 500 first-year students, despite receiving more than 50 000 applications.

North-West University has not been spared. They received 90 000 applications and they only have about 11 800 openings.

The University of Cape Town received 102 182 first-year applications in total and they only have space for approximately 4 000 students.

Meanwhile, Stellenbosch University can only accommodate around 6 074 first-year students, but they received a total of 106 578 applications.

Thousands left without university places

These numbers are evidence that not all those who applied will be accommodated at universities this year.

According to Michael, Emeritus Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Curriculum Studies, there are about 100 000 students who will not get access to universities.

“The only solution is for the students to get into the TVET colleges, but I suspect there is also not enough space and that is one of our concerns. Our country does not make sufficient provision for learners who ultimately do not gain access to university and this leads to all sorts of problems for the young people.

“We actually have a huge problem in South Africa. We have too few universities in South Africa and we need to look at building more universities, but smaller ones like the one (Akademia) in Paarl. We also need to look at other places like the Southern Cape, Karoo and Namaqualand just to give more children opportunities because in the end everyone shows up at Stellenbosch,” says Le Cordeur.

Alternative pathways essential

Buti Manamela, Minister of Higher Education and Training, echoed Le Cordeur’s sentiments recently.

“The Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system currently has approximately 535 000 funded and planned spaces across universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, Community Education and Training (CET) colleges, skills programmes and workplace-based learning. This gap between success and capacity is real, structural, and longstanding.”

He added: “TVET and CET colleges are not residual options. They are central pillars of the PSET system. They provide practical, accessible, and work-relevant education to the majority of South Africans and are essential to confronting unemployment, inequality and poverty.”