History was made in Hout Bay this past Tuesday as Silikamva High School achieved the ‘impossible’: a perfect 100% matric pass rate for the very first time!
Cape Town, South Africa (15 January 2026) – While thousands of learners across the country celebrated their results this week, something truly historic unfolded in the township of Hout Bay.
On Tuesday, 13 January, Western Cape Minister of Education David Maynier announced a milestone that brought the community to its feet: Silikamva High School achieved its first-ever 100% matric pass rate!
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The journey to this moment has been nothing short of extraordinary. In 2019, the school’s pass rate stood at 40%. Just six years later, this Quintile 3 collaboration school has defied the odds, with all 154 students successfully passing their National Senior Certificate examinations.
The achievement is particularly significant for a no-fee school as they tend to have limited resources. Of the 154 students, 117 achieved bachelor passes (76%), 28 achieved diploma passes, and 9 achieved higher certificate passes. The school recorded 100% pass rates in eight subjects, including Physical Sciences, and Business Studies.
Minister Maynier, who visited the school on Tuesday morning to celebrate the results, attributed part of the success to “excellent leadership, strong school culture, and the partnership model that supports collaboration schools like Silikamva.”
He emphasised that the Western Cape’s collaboration school model has proven effective and called for its expansion across more schools in the province.
Leadership and Vision Drive Transformation
Principal Siphatisiwe Nkala-Nkonhla, reflecting on and encouraging other no-fee schools on their journey, was candid about the challenges:
“Non-fee paying schools face struggles all the time. We do not have the resources. The kids are hungry, they come from poverty-stricken families, and it’s so difficult. The main thing is getting the teachers to buy into the vision. My vision has always been to get 100%, and not just 100%, but quality passes.”
She explained the critical role of teacher commitment:
“The teachers are the ones that do the work at the end of the day. For them to come on a Saturday, for them to do extra lessons, we need their buy-in. Once the teachers get the buy-in, they are the ones to speak to the learners, to encourage them to attend classes, to work hard. For me, it has been working with my team. They are wonderful people and they’ve been very supportive of the vision that we have as a school.”
Data-Driven Teaching as a Game Changer
Nkululeko Mangweni who teaches History and Geography at Silikamva, credits the turnaround to a fundamental shift in how the school operates:
“It started from the leadership and filtered down to senior management, then into teachers, and then into the learners. The support from Common Good has been crucial for professional development, equipping teachers to use ICT and different methods.”
He highlighted the school’s data-driven approach:
“We’ve been integrating data into learning and effective teaching. We have error analysis and academic improvement plans. Each teacher has to create that, and departmental heads monitor whether it’s being implemented effectively. That has been a game changer.”
On the principal’s impact, he added that Miss Nkala-Nkonhla brought a lot of changes and energy that filtered into the whole staff.
Partnership Model Delivers Results
As Silikamva’s operating partner, Common Good has supported the school’s vision through the collaboration school model, providing professional development, resources, and strategic support.
Common Good is a faith-based development organisation that supports grassroots transformation across South Africa, working in three critical areas: Early Life, Education, and Employment through scalable, research- backed programmes.
The historic achievement places Silikamva among a small group of no-fee schools nationally that have reached 100% pass rates – demonstrating that excellence in education is possible regardless of socioeconomic context when the right support systems are in place.
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