TEACH SA recently brought together partners, supporters and Alumni for a morning that looked back on its journey and looked ahead to what is still possible for South Africa’s learners. Hosted at Deloitte’s Johannesburg offices, the gathering honoured a 17-year track record of placing committed graduates into classrooms and strengthening the national pipeline of high-quality STEM educators.
From the outset, the tone was one of gratitude and shared purpose. Programme Director Malibongwe Mngomezulu (2017 cohort) welcomed guests and acknowledged the range of organisations that have walked alongside TEACH SA over the years – including the Gauteng Department of Education, Deloitte’s Social Impact team, Nedbank’s Eyethu Trust and Peermont Children’s Trust, among many others. Co-founder Dr Mothomang Diaho (Class II: Kilimanjaro) then reflected on how an idea that began as a response to educational inequality has grown into a national intervention, highlighting the milestones and hard-won lessons that have shaped the organisation’s evolution.
The spotlight then shifted to impact. A dedicated Alumni segment profiled former TEACH SA Ambassadors who are now contributing in diverse sectors, illustrating how a period of service in the classroom continues to influence leadership, careers and communities long after their formal placement ends.
A key theme of the morning was the link between TEACH SA’s work and the broader education landscape. Emisang Machedi (2011 cohort) shared perspectives on the state of education in Southern Africa, providing an outline of regional challenges, opportunities for innovation and the formative role his own Ambassador experience played in shaping his path.
Bringing the discussion into the present, Samson Ngomane (2023 cohort) shared the latest organisational data, noting significant gains in learner performance and school reach. He highlighted a key quality milestone: all current Ambassadors now enter their placements with PGCE qualifications, in line with updated professional standards. He also showcased inspiring individual achievements within the cohort, ranging from PhD candidates to Ambassadors who have established initiatives such as running clubs and science tutoring programmes in their schools.
Building on Samson’s update, recent Term 1 and Term 2 data from 2025 point to a clear upward trend in learner outcomes.
Evidence of Impact: 2025 Term 1–2 Results
Overall performance
- Term 2 recorded 1,000 more passes than Term 1, showing a strong upward trend, while overall failure numbers remained stable, indicating improvement without increased risk.
Grade-level improvements
- Grade 9 showed the largest improvement with 900 additional passes.
- Grade 8 recorded 400 more passes and 400 fewer failures, marking the biggest reduction in failures and stronger gains in the lower grades.
Subject-level improvements
- Technology emerged as the best-performing subject, with the highest average pass rate (around 899 learners) and performance that significantly outpaces other subjects.
- Natural Science and English recorded solid pass averages, indicating steady subject strength.
Top-performing regions & schools
- Tshwane West ranked as the top-performing district.
- Vuwani Secondary School reached 1,230 passes, the highest recorded.
Overall insight
- Overall, these results point to remarkable improvement across early grades and technology-focused subjects.
- Strong district and school leadership are contributing to this system-wide progress.
In her closing remarks, CEO of TEACH SA, Sedibeng Ngubane, expressed appreciation to Ambassadors, Alumni and partners, reminding everyone that the ultimate measure of success is the opportunity created for learners. She reaffirmed TEACH SA’s commitment to programmes such as the Saturday School initiative and extended a clear invitation to deepen and broaden collaboration in the years ahead.
The gathering ended with a short film featuring Ambassadors and Alumni at the Nedbank Green Indaba and a networking brunch – a fitting combination of reflection, relationship-building and renewed energy for the work of improving STEM education across South Africa.
