Top academic achiever in the country, 19-year-old Rayyan Ebrahim, from Pinelands High School in the Western Cape, has expressed overwhelming pride and gratitude for being able to bag that honour.
Brimming with excitement, Ebrahim was announced as the overall top achiever by Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, during the official release of the NSC results on Monday evening.
Ebrahim's stellar academic performance includes nine distinctions and an impressive aggregate of 97.57%. He achieved 99% in Further Studies Mathematics (Standard), 100% in Physical Science, 97% in Mathematics, Computer Applications Technology (CAT), and Afrikaans, as well as 98% in Accounting.
Pinelands High School celebrated Ebrahim’s accomplishments in a Facebook post, highlighting that he placed in the Top 1% of candidates for Further Studies Mathematics (FSM) Standard (Calculus and Algebra) in South Africa which is “a phenomenal achievement!”
The school said Further Studies Mathematics (FSM) is a rigorous academic subject administered by the IEB as part of the new IEB International Secondary Certificate and is certified separately from the NSC qualification.
He also obtained 95% A* in Further Studies Mathematics (Extended), Further Studies, 86% A in Mathematics – Matrices and Graph Theory and 99% A* in Further Studies: Mathematics Standard (Calculus & Algebra).
Speaking to SAnews, the top student described the moment his name was announced as surreal.
He said that when his name was announced he felt like he just didn't register what was happening, however he focused on going up to the stage in disbelief.
“I just felt so overwhelmed, and I was really in disbelief regarding the announcement of being the top achiever in the country. But yeah, I am just so humbled by the achievement, and so grateful to be recognised for my hard work,” he said.
Reflecting on his matric journey, Ebrahim admitted it was a challenging year, marked by high expectations and moments of self-doubt.
“My matric year was quite a tumultuous one. It was overwhelming at times and I tended to put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, and so I just had to constantly affirm myself that, you know, my best was good enough.
“I constantly just did my best and relied a lot on the support from my family and my friends who always wished me well and affirmed that I could do well,” he said.
Ebrahim explained that his study routine involved waking up early in the mornings to study, which is when he was the most productive. He also made use of online resources, like study guides, YouTube videos, for those concepts that he was struggling to understand.
“I also used to tutor my friends as well, in Maths during holidays. And we'd work through past papers together, and we would just brainstorm ideas and try to teach other new ways of approaching the problem,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ebrahim plans to study Data Science at the University of Cape Town. He is drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of the field, which combines mathematics, programming, and statistics to extract insights from data.
He said that he chose the course because of his love for Maths and the fact that it is relevant to the needs of the country.
“I'm so excited about getting into a dynamic career field that is so relevant to the needs of South Africa. My love for Mathematics and its relevance to the country’s future inspired my choice,” he explained.
Advising the matric class of 2025, the student emphasised consistent effort and a balanced life for success.
“Matric is a very challenging year. It's very long and busy, but if you just work consistently throughout the year, and you stay on top of your work, and by the time you reach your final exam, you will be more than well prepared.
“I think it's important to live a balanced life while you're studying. So, there is always time to make for your family, or exercising and enjoy your matric year, while also getting the marks that you want,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
