There are 4 858 pupils who remain unplaced in the 2026 online admissions process for grades 1 and 8. Of these, 1 381 are Grade 1 pupils, while 3 477 are Grade 8 pupils. The Gauteng Department of Education received a total of 358 574 complete applications for the 2026 academic year, comprising 175 792 grade 1 and 182 782 grade 8 applicants.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane says the department continues to release placement and transfer offers daily to ensure that all remaining pupils are placed as efficiently and fairly as possible. Data by district indicate that the majority of the remaining unplaced pupils are concentrated in urban and metropolitan districts, where sustained population growth and infrastructure constraints continue to strain available school capacity, the department said on Tuesday. Ekurhuleni remains the highest-pressure district, with a combined total of 3 169 unplaced pupils, with pressure particularly at the Grade 8 level in Ekurhuleni North.
Only two Johannesburg districts account for a significant number of remaining unplaced pupils: Johannesburg North with three Grade 8 pupils, Johannesburg East with 1 173 and Johannesburg South with 352. “Placement pressure remains highest in Johannesburg East, largely driven by demand for secondary school placements,” said the department. Tshwane has 14 unplaced pupils, and Sedibeng East has 70. “The department has prioritised Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg as high-pressure districts, with intensified district-based placement, continued release of placement and transfer offers, and strategic utilisation of available capacity across neighbouring schools.”
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