Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria achieved the highest number of distinctions of all government schools in South Africa and outperformed most private schools in the country.
Department of Basic Education recently announced that South Africa’s final National Senior Certificate (NSC) results for the matric reached a record high pass rate of 87.3%.
Over the last 15 years, the NSC pass rate has risen from 60% in 2009 to nearly 90% in 2024, marking a substantial improvement despite the high dropout rate.
However, it is still far behind the pass rate for private schools. The IEB announced an overall pass rate of 98.47% for its NSC examinations, a slight increase from 98.46% in 2023.
However, Hoërskool Waterkloof not only outperformed its government school counterparts but also beat most of the top private schools in the country.
Solidarity’s Skoleondersteuningsentrum SOS Matric Report for 2024 provides a detailed analysis of the standard of education in South Africa, with a focus on government schools.
Using the department’s data, the SOS report noted that Hoërskool Waterkloof, with 811 distinctions, recorded the most distinctions for a government school in South Africa.
This was well above the nearby Hoërskool Menlopark, which recorded 755 distinctions. Mbiliwi Secondary School in Limpopo was third, recording one less distinction.
Sibusisiwe Technical High School in KwaZulu-Natal (734) came in fourth, while Hoërskool Garsfontein (706) completed the top five.
Notably, at an average of 2.18 distinctions per candidate, Hoërskool Waterkloof outperforms most private schools in matric results.
Hoërskool Waterkloof also achieves these results with far lower school fees relative to the nation’s top private schools.
In 2025, Hoërskool Waterkloof charged R48,860.00 per student. This is far less than the R173,220 charged by St Andrew’s College for day students, for example.
| Skool | Province | Candidates | Total Distinctions |
| Hoërskool Waterkloof | Gauteng | 371 | 811 |
| Hoërskool Menlopark | Gauteng | 321 | 755 |
| Mbiliwi Secondary School | Limpopo | 494 | 754 |
| Sibusisiwe Technical High School | KZN | 306 | 734 |
| Hoërskool Garsfontein | Gauteng | 368 | 706 |
| Afrikaansë Hoër Meisieskool | Gauteng | 239 | 706 |
| Bizimali High School | KZN | 440 | 687 |
| Adams College | KZN | 346 | 636 |
| Rustenburg Girls’ High School | Western Cape | 172 | 622 |
| Menzi High School | KZN | 217 | 611 |
Hoërskool Waterkloof History
Compared to some of South Africa’s other private and public schools, Hoërskool Waterkloof is relatively new.
The school was built along the N1 thoroughfare east of Pretoria and opened in January 1979. It was named after the farm on which it was built.
At the time, there were only 215 students, 12 classrooms, and 12 teachers. The school motto was selected as, “We build in faith”.
The school’s sports and cultural activities were an immediate focus. It had a choir, a drama group, athletics, rugby, tennis, netball, and chess.
A year later, the school grew to just under 400 pupils and 20 teachers. By 1982, the school had its first matrics, with the number of pupils rising to 895.
This growth would continue, and the school is now home to 2,500 pupils and is regularly named one of the best government schools in South Africa.
Relative to the low pass rate for the rest of South America’s government schools, Hoërskool Waterkloof’s matric pass rate has remained consistently high and around the 100% mark for three decades.
On top of its strong sporting capabilities, the school also has several cultural activities, including choir, debating and band.
It is famed for its strong sports programmes, with its alumni including two-time Rugby World Cup Winner Faf De Klerk and proteas cricketer Janneman Malan.
Other noteworthy former learners include rugby players Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Marnus Schoeman, and Stefan Watermeyer.
South African actor and singer Hennie Jacobs, quiz show champion Daantjie Badenhorst and sprinter Willem de Beer are also former pupils.
The alumni network does not only have well-known figures but also sees former students maintain strong ties with the school, many of who donate to the school.
Inside Hoërskool Waterkloof
(Business Tech)
