Education outcomes in South Africa are shaped by who can stay in learning and what schools can realistically provide. Across primary and lower secondary, this page examines participation and attainment—along with barriers like NEET youth, inadequate learning materials, sanitation gaps, and limited computer access. It also considers teacher qualifications, large primary-class sizes, and how household shocks and public spending influence opportunity from 2020 to 2023/24.
Key Takeaways
- 32.1% of South Africans aged 15–24 were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2022
- 21.2% of South Africans aged 15+ had completed at least upper secondary education in 2019
- 77.9% of learners in South Africa enrolled in primary education in 2022
- 15.2% of Grade 6 learners reported attending a school with inadequate learning materials in 2021 (South Africa)
- 33.0% of schools lacked adequate sanitation in 2019
- 24.0% of public schools had no access to computers in 2020 (South Africa)
- 26.0% of households reported children had less access to food during school closures in South Africa (2020)
- 3.0x higher probability of school attendance for youth in the top wealth quintile versus the bottom quintile (South Africa, 2017)
- 9.9% of teachers in public schools were reported as not qualified in 2021 (South Africa)
- R253.6 billion: basic education expenditure by the South African government in the 2023/24 fiscal year
- R274.9 billion: higher education expenditure by the South African government in the 2023/24 fiscal year
- R64.2 billion: TVET-related spending allocation in South Africa for 2023/24
With 32.1% youth NEET and gaps in materials, sanitation and computers, South Africa is investing heavily to improve education outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Enrollment & Attainment14 stats
01
32.1% of South Africans aged 15–24 were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2022https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/youth-not-in-employment-education-or-training.html
02
21.2% of South Africans aged 15+ had completed at least upper secondary education in 2019https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.CUAT.UP.ZS?locations=ZA
03
77.9% of learners in South Africa enrolled in primary education in 2022https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.ENRR?locations=ZA
04
67.1% of learners in South Africa enrolled in lower secondary education in 2022https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRR?locations=ZA
05
24.7% of South African youth were enrolled in tertiary education in 2021https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?locations=ZA
06
35.3% of South Africans aged 15+ had completed at least primary education in 2019https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.CMPT.ZS?locations=ZA
07
17.9% of South Africans aged 18–24 were not enrolled in education or training in 2022https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/youth-not-in-education-or-training.html
08
94.1% of children aged 5–14 were in school in 2022 (South Africa)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SCH.1522.ZS?locations=ZA
09
76.1% of the population in the age group 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2010https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0312/P03122012.pdf
10
69.1% of the population in the age group 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2014https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0312/P03122015.pdf
11
67.9% of the population in the age group 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2016https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0312/P03122017.pdf
12
51.6% of the population in the age group 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2017https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0312/P03122018.pdf
13
49.2% of the population in the age group 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2021https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0312/P03122021.pdf
14
48.0% of the population in the age group 15–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2022https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0312/P03122022.pdf
Interpretation
Enrollment & Attainment Interpretation
South Africa’s Enrollment and Attainment picture shows a major dropout from lower levels to later stages, with NEET reaching 32.1% among 15–24 year olds in 2022 while only 24.7% of youth are enrolled in tertiary education in 2021.
report visual · Projection
NEET share among youth (15–24) over time
NEET among South African youth (15–24) declines over the period, with the lowest level in 2022 and the largest drop from the early peak—showing sustained improvement rather than a
76.1 Percent
Start
-3.77%
CAGR · 12y
48 Percent
Projected
20102022
source-verifiedstatssa.gov.za2022
02 · Category
Infrastructure & Technology4 stats
01
15.2% of Grade 6 learners reported attending a school with inadequate learning materials in 2021 (South Africa)https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/media/1186/file/South%20Africa%20Out%20of%20School%20Children%202021.pdf
02
33.0% of schools lacked adequate sanitation in 2019https://www.unicef.org/media/104581/file/Water%2C%20Sanitation%20and%20Hygiene%20in%20Schools%20in%20South%20Africa%202019.pdf
03
24.0% of public schools had no access to computers in 2020 (South Africa)https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-00-00/Report-03-00-00-2020.pdf
04
R5.6 billion: planned investment in school infrastructure upgrades for 2023/24https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2023/Press%20Release%20School%20Infrastructure.pdf
Interpretation
Infrastructure & Technology Interpretation
Under the Infrastructure and Technology category, access gaps remain serious as 24.0% of public schools had no computers in 2020 and 33.0% lacked adequate sanitation in 2019, while investment of R5.6 billion for school infrastructure upgrades in 2023/24 points to efforts to address these persistent shortcomings.
More related reading
03 · Category
Learning Outcomes & Equity5 stats
01
26.0% of households reported children had less access to food during school closures in South Africa (2020)https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/education-and-covid-19
02
3.0x higher probability of school attendance for youth in the top wealth quintile versus the bottom quintile (South Africa, 2017)https://www.unicef.org/media/99786/file/South-Africa-Children-Needs-and-Access-to-Education-2017.pdf
03
9.9% of teachers in public schools were reported as not qualified in 2021 (South Africa)https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/teacher-qualification.html
04
23:1 learner–teacher ratio in South Africa’s primary schools (2022)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.ENRL.TC.ZS?locations=ZA
05
26:1 learner–teacher ratio in South Africa’s secondary schools (2022)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRL.TC.ZS?locations=ZA
Interpretation
Learning Outcomes & Equity Interpretation
Learning outcomes and equity in South Africa appear strained, with 26.0% of households reporting reduced access to food during school closures and major gaps in school attendance and staffing quality evident alongside very high learner–teacher ratios of 23:1 in primary and 26:1 in secondary schools.
04 · Category
Education Spending & Financing6 stats
01
R253.6 billion: basic education expenditure by the South African government in the 2023/24 fiscal yearhttps://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2023/review/Chapter%2028%20Basic%20Education.pdf
02
R274.9 billion: higher education expenditure by the South African government in the 2023/24 fiscal yearhttps://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2023/review/Chapter%2030%20Higher%20Education.pdf
03
R64.2 billion: TVET-related spending allocation in South Africa for 2023/24https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2023/review/Chapter%2029%20Skills%20Development.pdf
04
18.5% of the national budget was allocated to education in 2023/24 (sum of basic, higher and related education functions)https://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/national%20budget/2023/review/Chapter%2016%20Medium%20Term%20Framework.pdf
05
4.8% of GDP: total education expenditure (public + private) in South Africa (2021)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS?locations=ZA
06
4.5% of households’ total spending was devoted to education in South Africa (2017/18)https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report-03-10-01/Report-03-10-01-2017.pdf
Interpretation
Education Spending & Financing Interpretation
In South Africa’s Education Spending and Financing landscape, government commitments are substantial with R253.6 billion for basic education and R274.9 billion for higher education in 2023/24, yet education still represents only 4.8% of GDP and 4.5% of household spending, showing that public investment carries much of the weight while overall education financing remains limited relative to the broader economy.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). South Africa Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-africa-education-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "South Africa Education Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/south-africa-education-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "South Africa Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-africa-education-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report
+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)