York High’s Abigail meets the ministers

Abigail Kok said it was bittersweet to her that everything was almost done now, but that she was excited to just go on with normal life.

GEORGE NEWS - "Leeuwenhof was a very special experience. The premier's residence is absolutely beautiful, there were security guards on the outside - it was really, really nice," said Abigail Kok, South Africa's top matric candidate of 2025, reflecting on her time at the Western Cape 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Awards ceremony at Premier Alan Winde's official residence in Cape Town last Thursday.

The Western Cape Minister of Education, David Maynier, formally congratulated Kok, a matriculant of York High in George, for her exceptional performance in the NSC examinations, topping both the province and the country in 2025.

The awards also recognised local schools that have shown notable improvement. Among them, Hoërskool Outeniqua was named as one of only five ordinary public schools in the Western Cape to receive an award for the greatest increase in the percentage of candidates achieving subject distinctions between 2024 and 2025.

Kok's outstanding academic performance also earned her recognition in Gauteng, where she was celebrated among the country's top matriculants on 12 January.

She said it was bittersweet to her that everything was almost done now, but that she was excited to just go on with normal life.

"I am grateful for all the sponsorships and I am still of the opinion that I wouldn't have been there without the grace of God, and the help of my mum."

Kok said from her conversation with Maynier, she was impressed by his vision for the education system, particularly his dedication to raising the standard of maths and physics teaching, which are subjects she loves.

"I hadn't spoken with Minister Alan Winde very long, but he was very nice. It was special to be there," she added.