The Dr. Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, in partnership with the Department of Employment and Labour, recently hosted the second annual Mayoral Top Achievers Awards Ceremony, celebrating outstanding academic performance by the Class of 2025 matriculants.
The prestigious event recognised learners who excelled in the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations, highlighting their dedication, resilience and commitment to excellence. The ceremony was coordinated by Ntebo Ntebe, a career counselor from the Department of Employment and Labour, together with Lucricia Jackson from the Municipality’s Special Programmes Unit(SPU).
Addressing attendees, Jerome Elie from the Graaff-Reinet District of the Department of Education commended the municipality for institutionalizing the awards ceremony as an annual event. He emphasized that learner success is the result of collective efforts by teachers, parents, education officials and community stakeholders. Elie noted that the district has made remarkable progress, improving from one of the worst-performing districts to fourth in the province with an 86.4% pass rate, and expressed confidence that the district could reclaim the top position in future.
He further highlighted the importance of increasing the number of bachelor passes and encouraging learners to pursue critical subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Science and Accounting, which are aligned with the country’s skills demands. Plans are underway to strengthen collaboration between municipalities and education stakeholders to support post-matric studies and identify bursary opportunities, particularly for careers in local government.
Representing the Department of Employment and Labour, Lazola Cekiso, an Employment Services Practitioner, congratulated the top achievers for their perseverance and passion. Quoting former President Nelson Mandela, Cekiso reminded learners that true glory lies in rising after challenges. He also shared insights into labour market trends, noting growing demand in sectors such as Healthcare, Information Technology, Engineering and Finance, while encouraging learners to focus on skills development in a competitive job market.
Despite South Africa’s unemployment rate of 31.9%, Cekiso reaffirmed the department’s commitment to supporting young people as they transition into further studies or the world of work. He announced that the department aims to make the Top Achievers Awards an annual celebration to inspire excellence within the community.
In his keynote address, Mayor Willem Safers applauded the Class of 2025 for achieving exceptional results under challenging circumstances. He acknowledged that many learners come from rural areas and under-resourced schools, yet chose perseverance over limitation. “Where you come from does not determine how far you can go,” the mayor said, emphasizing that talent exists in every village, township and farm within the municipality.
The ceremony concluded with a reaffirmation of the municipality’s commitment to education as a cornerstone of development, with leaders urging learners to continue striving for excellence as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
