One public school in South Africa produced 811 distinctions

Hoërskool Waterkloof, a government school based in Pretoria, achieved the highest number of distinctions of all public schools and outperformed most private schools in the country.

The school was listed as the top-performing public school in Gauteng, after its matric class obtained 811 distinctions for 2024.

According to SA School Sports, Waterkloof also ranked in the top 3 co-ed schools in the country for sport.

The Solidarity Movement used the impressive matric results to illustrate the value of mother-tongue education in South Africa and the high quality of Afrikaans schools.

Hoërskool Waterkloof also achieves these results with lower school fees relative to the nation’s top private schools.

In 2025, Hoërskool Waterkloof charged R48,860.00 per student. For example, this is far less than the R173,220 charged by St Andrew’s College for day students.

Solidarity also worries about a decline in Afrikaans-language education, with the number of Afrikaans schools taking the National Senior Certificate exams (NSC) decreasing from 686 in 2021 to 555 in 2024.

Despite this decrease in Afrikaans-language institutions, Hoërskool Waterkloof showed resilience in the success of its 2024 matric class.

Hoërskool Waterkloof history

Hoërskool Waterkloof was founded in 1979 along the N1 highway in the east of Pretoria, with 215 standard 6 and 7 learners dressed in the uniforms of their previous schools.

Only 12 teachers and 12 classrooms were constructed for the first staff members. The school was only named in March 1979, taking on the name of the farm on which it was built.

From the very beginning, the school maintained a focus on after-school activities, forming a choir, a drama group, an athletics club, and a rugby team in its first year.

Waterkloof quickly established itself as a competitor in sport, with the Under 15 rugby B team winning the league in its first year. Following this, netball, chess, swimming, and tennis teams were formed.

The school grew to 393 pupils and 20 teachers by 1980. By 1982, the school held its first matric exams and had grown to 895 students.

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 Africa’s government schools, Hoërskool Waterkloof’s matric pass rate has remained consistently high and around the 100% mark for three decades.

Notable alumni from the school include 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.

Images of Hoërskool Waterkloof

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