4 South African ministers are teachers – but not the education minister

South Africa has four ministers who have worked as teachers. Still, current Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube will have to tackle the challenges facing the sector without experience in the field.

Gwarube’s first few months came with a win, with the official matric results for the class of 2024 showing a record-high pass rate of 87.3%.

South Africa’s NSC pass rate rose from 60% in 2009 to nearly 90% in 2024, showing progress in public schools nationwide.

However, a deeper dive shows that South Africa’s ‘real’ matric pass rate is only 50%, with many dropping out before writing matric.

Of the 1.22 million learners who began school in grade 1 in 2013, only 614,562 passed matric in 2024, meaning that the country’s “real” pass rate is slightly over 50%.

With the high dropout rate, Gwarube will have a tough job improving South Africa’s real matric pass rate while also tackling other chronic issues, such as pit toilets and significant teacher shortages.

However, Gwarube, a member of the DA, has no formal educational qualification. She graduated from Rhodes University in 2024 after studying law, politics, and philosophy.

Despite Gwarube being raised by a teacher in her grandmother, question marks may be raised over Gwarube’s cabinet role, as several other Ministers come from an educational background.

Former Basic Education Minister and current Defence Minister Angie Motshekga was a teacher in the 1980s. She served as the Basic Education Minister from 2009 to 2024.

She would even go to lecture at the Soweto College of Education and WITS, and holds a Bachelor of Educational Science degree and a Master’s degree.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is also a qualified teacher, having completed a Bachelor of Arts in Education and International Relations.

Mchunu worked as a high school teacher in Nquthu and Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, before joining the ANC in the 1990s.

Pemmy Majodina, who replaced Mchunu as Water and Sanitation Minister last year, is also a teacher. She joined the government in 1999 as a National Council of Provinces (NCOP) member.

Beyond the ANC, IFP Leader and COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa was also the principal of the Somfula High School in KwaZulu-Natal for 20 years.

The prior cabinet also had several other Ministers with expertise in education, including former International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor and former Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.

Not always relevant

A lack of qualifications amongst Ministers has often been a point of contention in South Africa, with many questioning whether these politicians have the skills to oversee effective management.

Although qualifications to match a job may be seen as necessary, some of South Africa’s most lauded Ministers have had no experience in their roles.

The most notable was former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, who had no prior experience in the financial sector.

Manuel, South Africa’s Finance Minister from 1996 to 2009 under three different Presidents, oversaw a boom in the 2000s, where GDP growth often reached 5%.

He described himself as “ideologically agnostic” regarding fiscal policy, meaning he would listen to and work with his colleagues to fund the best answers without ideological baggage.

He also engaged with Tito Mboweni during his time at the Reserve Bank and worked with former President Thabo Mbeki to ensure a clear growth strategy.

Thus, while Gwarube does not have an education qualification, if she can work closely with her Department’s staff and with other leaders, she may become a quality Minister.

The Department is taking a major step to investigate its education standards, including the country’s 30% matric pass mark.