KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka. Picture: Gallo Images KwaZulu-Natal has enrolled more than 2.9 million pupils for the 2026 academic year, becoming the first province to reach its enrolment targets, education MEC Sipho Hlomuka announced on Thursday. Delivering a media statement at Addington Primary School in Durban, Hlomuka said the milestone reflected coordinated efforts across the province to ensure that every eligible child was placed in a classroom at the start of the school year.
Hlomuka said a total of 2 918 003 pupils had been enrolled for the 2026 academic year across KwaZulu-Natal’s 12 districts. “We have been visiting schools across districts and so far, we are satisfied that the enrolment process was smooth and successful across all 12 districts of the province,” he said. He said KwaZulu-Natal was “proud to be the first province to reach its enrolment targets”, adding that the achievement ensured access to education for every eligible child.
“While reaching this target is significant, our work continues to ensure that enrolment translates into learning, performance, and success in every classroom,” Hlomuka said. The MEC thanked teachers, school management teams, parents and communities for ensuring that pupils were in classrooms on the first day of school, despite ongoing fiscal pressures. Hlomuka also reflected on the province’s 2025 matric results, which saw KwaZulu-Natal ranked the top-performing province for the first time.
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“We congratulate the matric class of 2025 for taking the baton from their predecessors and ensuring that KwaZulu-Natal achieves a historic milestone by becoming the number-one performing province,” he said. However, he cautioned that maintaining the top position would require sustained effort.
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