By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The North Gauteng High Court has ruled in favour of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to publish final matric results in newspapers and on digital platforms.
The ruling follows the two-day court hearing, held on 27–28 October 2025, following an earlier urgent application brought by the Information Regulator in January 2025, which the Court dismissed for lack of urgency.
The Regulator has since sought a full review of the DBE’s established practice of publishing results — contending that it constitutes a breach of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
The Department maintained that its publication method — which displays examination numbers without names or other personal identifiers — does not contravene POPIA, as the information published cannot be directly or indirectly linked to any individual without intimate or prior knowledge.
For decades, the publication of matric results has been a matter of public interest and national transparency, providing reassurance to learners, families, and the broader public regarding the integrity of the national examination system.
In his ruling, Judge Omphemetse Mooki was unsparing, calling the Regulator’s position “fanciful” and “akin to a poorly constructed thought experiment”.
“No empirical evidence supports the position. The Regulator’s stance does not reflect events in the real world,” he said.
The ruling clears the way for matric results to continue being published on public platforms using exam numbers only. The Court rejected the theory that learners would memorise each other’s seating positions or sequential numbers to identify classmates’ marks. Publishing numbers-only results, the judges found, does not disclose personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and provides sufficient privacy protection.
South Africa’s education regulator, Umalusi, has confirmed the 2025 matric results will be released on 12 January 2026.