Listen | African top performers shine in SOS’s new national ranking

Excellence was recently given names and faces when the Solidarity School Support Center (SSC) honored the country’s top performing Afrikaans matriculants for their 2025 results.

This initiative not only highlighted the best of the best, but also shed a bright light on the schools, teachers and communities that build academic success together over the years.

What makes this group exceptional is not just their finishes, but the consistency of their performance. The top achievers consistently achieved an average above 96% in various subjects, which is an indication of sustained discipline over the years.

Among the standouts are names such as Wilhelm Liebenberg from Montana High School, who among other things achieved a perfect 100% in accounting, 99% in information technology, 97% in mathematics and 96% in physical sciences. Christené Beukes, Nadya Joubert and Stefan den Haan are also matriculants who have positioned themselves among the country’s best in more than one subject.

Wilhelm Liebenberg from Montana High School, who among other things achieved a perfect 100% in accounting, 99% in information technology, 97% in mathematics and 96% in physical sciences. (Photo: Provided)

In each subject, the top five performers were named, with the top three receiving national winner status and cash prizes from Akademia, the SOS, Solidarity and Sol-Tech.

According to Hugo Vermeulen, head of training at the SOS, ranking was not determined lightly and the standouts made the judges really puzzle to determine the best in each subject. “In addition to the final marks, the final exam papers, school-based assessment and even grade 11 achievements were also taken into account to identify true, sustained excellence.”

The SOS’s aim with the project was precisely to make this kind of achievement visible in Afrikaans. “It’s not just about marks, but about the story behind the achievement. We know it takes years of hard work, dedicated teachers in primary and high schools and the support of parents and communities,” he said.

Although only a selection of schools participated this year, the value of the project lies precisely in the fact that it creates a growing platform where Afrikaans academic winners can be recognized nationally.

The SOS intends to establish the project as an annual initiative and schools are encouraged to sign up for the next cycle.

With this initiative, an important message is sent out: excellence does not happen by chance. It is built over years by people, with care, and now it is also finally celebrated.

• Behind every matric mark lies a story of hard work. Come and listen to the interview at the top of the report where Maroela Media talks with Hugo Vermeulen, head of training at the SOS, about the recognition for the country’s top Afrikaans matriculants and finds out what their success means for schools and communities.

Hugo Vermeulen, head of training at the SOS, visited Maroela Media’s studio to talk about the project to honor African top performers. (Photo: Provided)

Here are the top five African matriculants of 2025 per subject:

Mathematics

1. Christené Beukes (Merensky Agricultural Academy)
2. Heinrich Sutton (Waterkloof High School)
3. Sandrine Steyn (DF Academy)
4. Wilhelm Liebenberg (Montana High School)
5. Benjamin Kriegler (HTS Drostdy)

Physical sciences

1. Johann Opperman (Waterkloof High School) and Stefan den Haan (Bellville High School)
2. Maretha Gonin (Eldoraigne High School)
3. Nadya Joubert (Paarl Girls’ High School)
4. Wilhelm Liebenberg (Montana High School)
5. Jaco Deysel (Jim Fouché High School)

Accounting

1. Wilhelm Liebenberg (Montana High School) and Leandi Roos (Bloemhof Girls’ High School)
2. Christené Beukes (Merensky Agricultural Academy)
3. Nadya Joubert (Paarl Girls’ High School)
4. Marnus Otto (Kempton Park High School)
5. Lourens Preller (Brandwag High School)

Afrikaans home language

1. Marise du Toit (Paarl Girls’ High School)
2. Marguerite Steenkamp (Stellenbosch High School)
3. Jana Wasserfall (DF Academy)
4. Evelynne Nel (Afrikaans Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria) and Jaco Deysel (Hoërskool Jim Fouché)
5. Natalie van der Bank (Eldoraigne High School)

Information technology

1. Wilhelm Liebenberg (Montana High School)
2. Andries Beyers (Menlopark High School) and Wihan Vermeulen (Menlopark High School)
3. Stefan den Haan (Bellville High School) and Gerhard Mahne (Menlopark High School)
4. Jacques Cress Williams (DF Akademie)
5. Lohan Chamberlain (DF Akademie)

Engineering Graphics and Design (IGO)

1. Nina Voigt (La Rochelle Girls’ High School)
2. Alouise Vosloo (Framesby High School) and Rohann Schultz (Nelspruit High School)
3. Jowan Janse van Vuuren (Bellville High School)
4. Rohan Forster (Westvalia High School)
5. Daniël de Wet (Stellenbosch High School)

Economy

1. Stella Malan (Jan van Riebeeck High School)
2. Artho Saayman (Oakdale High School)
3. Delinda Quinot (Bloemhof Girls’ High School)
4. Jaco Deysel (Jim Fouché High School)
5. Mila van Wyk (Paarl Girls’ High School)