Two hundred and sixty-eight inmates are registered to sit the 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations at 18 correctional services schools nationwide, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed on 10 October 2026. This marks a 56.7% increase from the 171 inmate candidates recorded in 2025.
The department said all necessary arrangements are in place to support the candidates throughout the exam period, which begins on 13 October 2026. Inmates enrolled range across various facilities and will be monitored carefully to safeguard examination integrity.
In the previous year, 180 learner inmates wrote the NSC exams, achieving an impressive overall pass rate of 94.4%. Notably, 15 correctional schools attained a 100% pass rate, with the 2025 cohort earning 132 distinctions in total. These results were announced in January 2025 by Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald at Goodwood Correctional Facility in the Western Cape.
Minister Groenewald emphasised education’s crucial role in rehabilitation, stating during last year’s announcement: “Our responsibility is clear, we have to take them back into formal education so that they are not lost to the system, irrespective of finding themselves in conflict with the law. Education remains one of the most powerful tools for rehabilitation, reintegration, and nation-building.”
National Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale encouraged the inmate candidates to remain disciplined: “Remain disciplined, believe in your abilities and give your best throughout the examination period.”
The upward trend in inmate participation in the NSC exams suggests expanded access to formal education within correctional facilities, although the department has not provided specific reasons for the increase. The correctional services education programme forms part of broader efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders by equipping them with academic and vocational skills.
While the current data aggregates participation at a national level across 18 schools, no verified details about specific facilities or regional breakdowns, including Cape Town or the Cape Flats, have been confirmed. The department maintains that all invigilation, security, and support measures meet Department of Basic Education requirements for the exams.
Cape Flats News will monitor developments as the 2026 exams progress and will report on any further updates, including exam outcomes and the programme’s impact on inmate rehabilitation.