Covid-19 blamed for drop in Western Cape matric pass rate By Sisonke Mlamla Share Cape Town - For the first time since 2010, the Western Cape dipped below 80% in its matric pass rate, dropping from 82.3% in 2019 to 79.9%. The province however achieved increases in both the maths (70.8%) and maths literacy (82.9%) pass rates, as well as boasting the top two candidates in maths nationally for the second year in a row. It has also achieved an increase in the number of Bachelor passes, with 22 634 of the 51 633 candidates that wrote in the Western Cape, which is 43.8% compared to 43.6% last year. Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said all provinces saw their pass rates decline â âan understandable outcome during a pandemic that severely disrupted schooling around the worldâ.