Failures of government and the private sector

The latest results of the 2025 academic year were shared earlier this week, and as things stand, we have seen an increase in the performance of provinces which were historically battling with the crisis of having to achieve a high percentage in their overall ranking.

As learners and parents shared mixed emotions from those that had passed and those that did not make it, the stark reminder of what it is that they will be doing going forward came to the fore.

A lot of discussions on social media, in churches, at public gatherings, on local and national radio stations, and on television everywhere – people are flocking and giving advice and motivation, but the real issue is not being addressed. Over 650 000 learners passed Matric; of that number, only 345 000 qualify for university admission.

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has a total ‘space allocation – seats available’ of not more than 230 000 for first-time entering students across universities and TVET colleges nationally.

This means that almost half a million learners’ dreams will be systematically crushed and brushed aside – and they will be forced to be placed under the NEET category (Not in Employment, Education or Training).

To date a rough estimate of +/- 4 million learners are within this bracket, which then forces them to apply for the stimulus package of the R350 SRD grant, thus pushing the fiscus and government budget even further.

The South African government currently pays more than 9 million people; the total budget is approximately R27 billion, which is a significant portion of the government fund. National Treasury has expressed concerns about the sustainability of the grant and the need for economic growth to support it.

There’s a growing concern whether this grant is breeding dependants or alleviating joblessness. Given the nature of the crisis we find ourselves in, one has to reflect and ask what it is that we are not doing, and why it is that the private sector is not coming to the party to assist.

In the North West Province – a province so rich and boastful with high-value minerals (gold, platinum, uranium, manganese, chrome, diamonds, lime, etc.) – we are still not utilising these assets and creating a platform for private sectors, in particular mining houses, to invest in the education of children.

We will be seeing big multinational companies which are listed on the Johannesburg, London, Australian, American and Asian stock exchanges boasting about soaring dividends, increases in the stock market, and increases in exploration and expansion of their operations, as is the case in the Orkney and Rustenburg areas.

With so much capital sitting in the books of these companies, why are the provincial/national departments not bringing these institutions and having a deliberate action plan of building new universities and TVETs that speak to the nature of the economy of the province of North West?

Why should we only accept bursaries and hand out certificates as a pledge and investment within the sector? Just in 2024, AfriForum organised its members and built a university at a total price tag of less than R350 million (that’s about less than 2%) profit for most of these mines in the northwest. We have a leadership vacuum who do not see into the future but would rather wait until all fails and go to the same private sector for an additional R30 billion rand to support grants for these learners who are trapped in the cycle of unemployment, poverty and abuse. We need to come to a point whereby we are deliberate about uplifting the lives of our children. We know for a fact the type of economic spin-offs universities and TVET colleges bring to an area – from accommodation, food, transport, entertainment, IT, banking, etc.

 If we want to celebrate the strides and achievements, we must also be able to celebrate not having to see our kids fight for space within the institutions of higher learning. We need to not romanticise the glaring reality we find ourselves in and have the leadership in the public and private sectors open to deliberate and tangible investments that can assist our future.  

By Abel Peki Seetsi InvesTong Group | Leyanite (pty) Ltd