WATCH | ‘I failed twice in my life, don’t give up’ - Unathi Nkayi offers hope ahead of matric results

Media personality Unathi Nkayi has shared words of encouragement ahead of the release of public school matric results today.

The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) announced its matric results on Friday and a pass rate of 98.07%, a slight decline from last year's 98,82%.

LISTEN | Two-thirds of 2020 academic year was lost to Covid-19 school closures

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Basic education minister Angie Motshekga will announce the public school results on Monday.

Unathi said those who feel stuck and dissatisfied with their results should draw strength from her personal experience.

She shared that she failed grade 8 and her first year in university.

“It was devastating so I know how you feel and how heartbroken you must be. I understand the possible things you are saying or doing to yourself and I want to ask you as your big sis: don’t give up on yourself. It’s okay, it really is. I had to learn that I’m just slower when it comes to academics and I needed more time,” she said.

The Idols SA judge shared that her father made her go back to the same school where she had failed.

“I said to him ‘how could you punish me like that and send me back to the same school?’, and my father said: ‘My child, if you start running now you'll never stop running.’”

Sunday Times Daily reported that trade unions urged South Africans not to be too hard on matric pupils as 2020 was a challenging year.

General secretary for the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union, Mugwena Maluleke, said they were expecting a slight drop in the matric results despite teachers’ best efforts.

Basil Manuel, head of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA said he hopes higher institutions of learning will offer some sort of support for pupils, considering the challenges of 2020.