As the 2026 school year gets underway, South African parents are facing a familiar and deeply frustrating burden — paying premium prices for branded school uniforms and even basic pens and stationery, just to get their children ready for class. According to the Competition Commission, restrictive supply deals and price disparities have pushed up costs, turning simple items like branded shirts and basic pens into expensive necessities many families struggle to afford.

As the 2026 school year gets underway, South African parents are facing a familiar and deeply frustrating burden &mdash; paying premium prices for branded school uniforms and even basic pens and stationery, just to get their children ready for class. According to the&nbsp;Competition Commission, restrictive supply deals and&nbsp;price disparities have pushed up costs, turning simple&nbsp;items like branded shirts and basic pens into&nbsp;expensive necessities many families struggle to&nbsp;afford.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Back to School, Back to the Bill: Why Parents Are Paying More for Less

Warnings Ignored: Another Life Lost on Kempton

Park’s Unsecured Rail Line
There’s growing outrage in Kempton Park after a
second person was killed by a train at the same
unsecured spotalong the Germiston–Pretoria
commuter rail line — a tragedy that many say was
entirely preventable. Community members and local
leaders had repeatedly warned authorities about the
dangers of this stretch of track, where incomplete
infrastructure leaves pedestrians with direct access to
active railway lines.

Warnings Ignored: Another Life Lost on Kempton
Park&rsquo;s Unsecured Rail Line There&rsquo;s growing outrage in Kempton Park after a second person was killed by a train at the same unsecured spotalong the Germiston&ndash;Pretoria commuter rail line &mdash; a tragedy that many say was entirely preventable. Community members and local leaders had repeatedly warned authorities about the dangers of this stretch of track, where incomplete infrastructure leaves pedestrians with direct access to active railway lines.

Simon Lapping, DA Councillor for Ward 17 in Ekurhuleni

Record Results, Real Questions: What the 2025 Matric

Pass Rate Tells Us About Our Schools
South Africa is celebrating a historic milestone in
education. The Matric Class of 2025 has achieved the
highest National Senior Certificate pass rate on record
— 88%, with more than 656,000 learners passing and a
record 345,000 achieving bachelor’s passes. For the
first time ever, all 75 education districts across the
country recorded pass rates above 80%, and
provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and
Gauteng led the rankings.

Record Results, Real Questions: What the 2025 Matric
Pass Rate Tells Us About Our Schools South Africa is celebrating a historic milestone in education. The Matric Class of 2025 has achieved the highest National Senior Certificate pass rate on record &mdash; 88%, with more than 656,000 learners passing and a record 345,000 achieving bachelor&rsquo;s passes. For the first time ever, all 75 education districts across the country recorded pass rates above 80%, and provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and Gauteng led the rankings.

EDUCATION EXPERT: PROFESSOR MARY METCALFE

As the 2026 school year approaches, a growing crisis in South Africa’s education system is leaving parents and learners in limbo. In Gauteng alone, the Department of Education’s online admissions system shows that 4,858 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners are still unplaced, out of 358,574 applications received for the new academic year. That means nearly 1.5% of applicants remain without a confirmed school just days before schools open.

As the 2026 school year approaches, a growing crisis in South Africa&rsquo;s education system is leaving parents and learners in limbo. In Gauteng alone, the&nbsp;Department of Education&rsquo;s online admissions system&nbsp;shows that 4,858 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners are still&nbsp;unplaced, out of 358,574 applications received for the&nbsp;new academic year. That means nearly 1.5% of&nbsp;applicants remain without a confirmed school just&nbsp;days before schools open.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Back to School, Back to the Bill: Why Parents Are Paying More for Less

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