More than 345,000 grade 12 learners in South Africa qualified for university entrance in the 2025 school leaving exam – 46% of those who passed. This was the largest number yet, more than double the figure a decade earlier. But qualifying for university and being ready for university are not the same thing. University asks students to work with greater independence, engage critically with sources, construct arguments, conduct research and adapt to unfamiliar forms of teaching and assessment.