Gauteng Education MEC, Mr Matome Chiloane, on Thursday, 17 July 2024, tabled the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) 2025/26 Budget Vote during a house sitting at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.
In a post-Budget Vote media briefing that was held at Jeppe Girls High School in Johannesburg on Sunday, 20 July 2025, MEC Chiloane briefed the public on the education budget that was tabled and departmental strategic frameworks.
MEC Chiloane announced that the Gauteng Department of Education’s budget for the 2025/25 financial year is R68.0 billion. During this Budget Vote Speech, MEC Chiloane stated that this budget affirms the Gauteng Provincial Government’s resolute commitment, and rewrites futures, restores dignity, and accelerates transformation in every classroom across Gauteng. This R68 billion allocation reflects our dedication to building a generation of skilled, confident, and capable learners who will drive South Africa’s economic growth and social transformation.
The GDE budget has increased by R3.1 billion, a substantial 4.9% growth from R64.8 billion in 2024/25 to R68.0 billion in 2025/26. This demonstrates the provincial government’s commitment to education as a cornerstone of development. The Gauteng Department of Education has achieved two consecutive clean audits. This means that every rand allocated to education reaches its intended destination.
Our budget spend sits at above 99.9%, demonstrating financial discipline and exceptional execution capability. It means that parents, learners, and communities can trust that their investment in education is being managed with the highest standards of governance. These clean audits are not just accounting achievements; they are the foundation of public trust and the guarantee that resources meant for our children actually benefit our children. This financial discipline enables us to focus entirely on what matters most: delivering quality education that transforms lives and builds futures.
This budget will enable the GDE to implement the Strategic Framework for Educational Excellence and deliver on its core mandate of providing quality, inclusive, and future-focused education to all learners in Gauteng. This strategic framework approach is anchored on four interconnected pillars:
Early Childhood Development (ECD) – R734 Million
The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act has made Grade R compulsory education, transforming early childhood development from optional service to fundamental right. This R734 million investment into strategy 1 will:
• Universalize Grade R access across all public schools
• Expand access to quality ECD programmes for children aged 0-4 years
• Ensure child readiness for primary school through qualified practitioners. We are training practitioners to NQF
Level 6 standards, and we are creating seamless pathways from home-based care to formal schooling.
MEC Chiloane shared a remarkable story of Sis Nomsa from Kokotela, an informal settlement in Lawley Extension 2.
Through our comprehensive ECD support and guidance, Sis Nomsa’s vision of running a registered ECD became a reality. The Future Leaders ECD center is now officially registered and serves over 60 children in Johannesburg South district.
What started as a dream in an informal settlement has transformed into a fully compliant ECD facility that meets all provincial standards for partial care and ECD programming. Sis Nomsa’s journey from operating informally to achieving full registration with the Department exemplifies how our ECD Grant allocation is not just funding infrastructure, but building dignified, professional early childhood development throughout our communities. Her centre now stands as a beacon of hope and proof that even in informal settlements like Kokotela, hope can flourish, and quality learning can begin from birth.
Promote Quality Education — R2.2 Billion
Our R2.2 billion allocation encompasses:
• Language and Literacy Excellence through the GET Language and Reading Improvement Programme
• Mathematics and Science Advancement addressing critical skills shortages
• Technical Skills Development preparing learners for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Secondary School Intervention supporting Grades 10-12 learners
The MEC celebrated two remarkable success stories. Lufhereng Secondary School, which began as a mobile school, achieved an extraordinary 100% pass rate with 97% Bachelor passes, the highest among all public schools in Gauteng. As a reward for their outstanding performance, the GDE is now constructing a permanent brick-and-mortar facility for Lufhereng, demonstrating our commitment to recognizing and investing in excellence wherever it emerges.
Similarly, Raymond Mhlaba Secondary School has consistently demonstrated the impact of our targeted interventions, emerging as a model of educational excellence in previously disadvantaged communities.
MEC Chiloane also recognized Gauteng’s top-performing learner, Musawenkosi Buthelezi from Kwa-Thema, who matriculated in 2024 from Zimisele Secondary School with the province’s highest matric results in each subject. The MEC stated that their presence at the Budget Vote symbolizes that quality education is not a privilege of location, but a right we are delivering to every learner. These success stories validate our approach of investing in township schools not as acts of charity, but as strategic investments in human capital that yield extraordinary returns for our province and nation.
Changing the Educational Landscape — R3.9 Billion
The largest allocation represents our commitment to fundamentally transforming education delivery in Gauteng. We are not maintaining the status quo, we are reimagining what education can be. Our Multi-Certification Skills Programme (MCSP) transcends traditional academic boundaries, empowering every learner in Gauteng with comprehensive skills for an evolving world. From coding and robotics in Foundation Phase to Microsoft Digital, AI, and fire fighting in FET
Phase, our learners accumulate practical, accredited skills progressively ensuring that they graduate not just with a matric certificate, but with multiple certifications that make them immediately employable or entrepreneurially ready.
This is not just education, it is economic empowerment. By matric, our learners possess diverse skills spanning digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and workplace readiness, including practical certifications like first aid and driver’s licenses.
We are building a generation of contributing citizens equipped to drive economic growth and lead societal change.
Through MCSP, every child in Gauteng becomes not just educated, but economically empowered and ready to shape our future.
Our 36 Schools of Specialisation across five disciplines are creating pathways for learners to develop unique talents.
We proudly celebrate one of our Schools of Specialisation that recently won a prestigious award in Ethiopia. Principal
A.T. Mashiane’s learners from Soshanguve SOS showcased their electric car on a continental stage. A clear demonstration that our specialized education meets global standards.
Our partnership with BMW Roslyn transforms classrooms into workshops of brilliance, giving learners of Lethabong
SOS hands-on access to advanced engineering and real-world industry mentorship. Today, we celebrate four exceptional learners from Katlehong School of Specialisation who are currently job shadowing. 16 learners at Hyundai,
2 learners at Kia and 8 learners at Mercedes Benz are experiencing firsthand how classroom theory transforms into industry practice. Their presence at one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers demonstrates that our Schools
of Specialisation are not just preparing learners for future careers, they are creating immediate pathways to global industry excellence.
This strategy includes:
• School Modernization Programme addressing infrastructure backlogs
• Digital Transformation with over 60,000 learner devices distributed
• Educator Support and Development through continuous professional development
Create Safe Schools — R2.9 Billion
Education extends beyond academic achievement. With R2.9 billion allocated, we recognize that schools must be sanctuaries of safety and centers of community.
The MEC mentioned that he received heartfelt letters from the principals of Qalabotsha and Tshepo ya Rona Secondary School in Vlakfontein, expressing their appreciation for our deployment of security to these schools. As a result, teachers and learners alike can now freely go to school, matric results have improved, and there is renewed commitment from learners because they feel safe.
MEC Chiloane also honoured the extraordinary courage of Mr Noko Selepe, principal of Primrose Primary School, who was shot on school premises by a 13-year-old learner on 16 February 2024. What defines Mr Selepe is not the bullet he took, but the choice he made after it – returning to his post with renewed dedication. His courage reminds us that education’s soul lies in service beyond the call of duty. Weeks ago, Mr Selepe received the MEC’s Harry Gwala Excellence Award, not for surviving adversity, but for returning to the helm with unshaken resolve. His story is one of quiet courage, and leadership carved in sacrifice.
Our comprehensive approach to create safe schools includes:
• Security deployment to over 1,500 schools
• Sports, Arts, and Culture Integration developing physical, creative, and emotional capabilities
• Health and Wellness Support including school health programs
• Pro-Poor Interventions ensuring economic circumstances don’t become barriers
Our school nutrition program serves 1.73 million learners daily, and our transport program serves 228,592 learners –investments in human dignity and educational equity.
The Impact of Our Investment
Our educational system serves 2.83 million learners across 3,317 institutions, supported by 104,804 educators. Our
investment yields tangible results:
• 88.41% matric pass rate with 50.27% bachelor passes
• All 15 districts achieving above 80% pass rates for three consecutive years
• Three districts surpassing the 90% provincial target
• Significant improvements in literacy and numeracy outcomes
But our vision extends beyond test scores. We are building critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and leadership –preparing learners not just for examinations, but for life.
Medium-Term Sustainability
Our budget shows consistent growth from R56.2 billion in 2021/22 to a projected R72.9 billion in 2027/28 – a 29.7% increase over six years. This sustainable growth provides stability for long-term planning and consistent service delivery.
MEC Chiloane emphasised that the R68 billion budget he presented is more than resource allocation, but a representation of the Gauteng government’s commitment and investment in every child in Gauteng, every teacher, and every community.
“We are not just funding education; we are investing in transformation. We are not just building schools; we are building dreams. We are not just teaching subjects; we are developing citizens who will lead our province and nation into a prosperous future.,” said MEC Chiloane
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