South Africa’s Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed it will publish the matric results 2025 in accredited newspapers next week, despite the country’s Information Regulator seeking leave to appeal a court decision that set aside an earlier enforcement notice aimed at stopping publication.
The dispute centres on privacy and whether publishing results in newspapers and other public platforms complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia).
Why the publication of matric results is being challenged
The Information Regulator previously issued an enforcement notice prohibiting the DBE from publishing the 2024 matric results in newspapers, arguing results should instead be accessed through methods it said are Popia-compliant, such as collecting them from schools or using a secure SMS platform.
The matter escalated into court action, and a full bench of the Pretoria High Court later ruled that matric results may be published on public platforms, as they have been since 2022, provided they are published using candidates’ examination numbers.
A later ruling set aside the regulator’s enforcement notice, and the regulator has since said its application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal suspends the execution of the High Court’s orders pending the appeal outcome.
What the DBE says it will do
The DBE says it is legally obliged to publish the results under a court order granted on 18 January 2022 and will oppose the regulator’s application for leave to appeal.
The department says results will be supplied to accredited newspapers in the same format used in recent years: examination numbers and results only, with no names, surnames, or ID numbers.
When matric results 2025 will be released
The DBE’s official results bulletin sets out the release timeline.
The Minister of Basic Education will announce the outcome of the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations on Monday, 12 January 2026, and results will be released to candidates on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
The DBE says candidates should collect their statements of results from the school or exam centre where they wrote, and that results will also be available on the department’s website from 06:00 SAST on Monday, 13 January.
How to query results and fix personal details
The DBE bulletin instructs candidates to submit matric result queries for investigation within 30 days after results are released.
Candidates are also urged to ensure their names and identity numbers are correct on their statement of results and to report corrections to the department before 20 February 2026.
Re-marking and re-checking: dates and fees
Candidates may apply for a re-mark or re-check of exam scripts at a prescribed fee, either through schools/district offices or online via the government e-services platform.
The DBE says applications open on 13 January 2026 and close on 27 January 2026.
The stated fees are R120 per subject for a re-mark and R30 per subject for a re-check.
Viewing scripts is only permitted after a re-mark or re-check, and the DBE lists a viewing fee of R230.
The DBE says re-marking results will be released from 13 March 2026 and will be available at the school or exam centre where the candidate wrote.
What happens next in the legal dispute
The immediate practical impact is that the department plans to proceed with publication on 13 January, while the regulator continues its appeal bid.
If the appeal process progresses, it could determine whether the current approach, publishing results by examination number without names or ID numbers, remains the long-term method for newspaper publication or whether the DBE will be forced to rely more heavily on school-based and secure digital access methods.
