January 2026, Johannesburg, South Africa – Each year, more than 300 000 South African learners who successfully complete matric do not progress into any form of post-school education or training, primarily due to financial constraints.
This figure is drawn from enrolment data published by Statistics South Africa and the Department of Higher Education and Training, which shows that fewer than half of young people aged 18 to 24 are enrolled in universities, TVET colleges, or other post-school institutions, despite many meeting academic entry requirements.
International research supports this trend. UNESCO and the World Bank have both identified South Africa as facing a significant structural gap between secondary school completion and post-school participation, with financial exclusion at the point of transition cited as a key contributor to youth unemployment and inequality.
As the 2025 National Senior Certificate results are released, these figures once again highlight a systemic challenge: academic success does not automatically translate into access to opportunity.
South Africa’s Constitution recognises education as a fundamental human right and places an obligation on the state and its partners to progressively make further education accessible. Yet for many academically deserving but financially needy learners, the period immediately after matric remains the point at which educational aspirations are delayed or abandoned.
It is within this context that TTI Group has reaffirmed its commitment to closing the access gap between matric success and post-school opportunity.
TTI Group is a skills development implementation partner working with corporates, large enterprises, and government entities to design, manage, and implement bursaries, learnerships, and accredited skills development programmes. The organisation delivers these programmes end-to-end, including learner recruitment, placement, programme delivery, compliance management, monitoring, psychosocial support, and impact reporting.
“Every year, capable young people are excluded not because they failed academically, but because they cannot afford to continue,” says TJ Malamule, CEO of TTI Group. “When education is recognised as a human right, closing funding and access gaps becomes a national responsibility that requires practical delivery, not policy alone.”
In response to current registration pressures, TTI Group has confirmed that bursary opportunities are available, with recruitment for selected bursary, learnership, and skills development programmes at advanced stages.
This work will be further strengthened by the official launch of TTI Academy on 02 February 2026. TTI Academy is a new division within TTI Group, established to expand access to accredited, industry-aligned education and training programmes, providing alternative and complementary pathways for students who are financially excluded from traditional tertiary routes.
As South Africa continues to confront youth unemployment and unequal access to education, TTI Group maintains that meaningful progress depends on delivery-focused partnerships that ensure academically deserving learners are not denied the opportunity to further their studies due to financial circumstances.