Zimbabwean learners displaced from South Africa amid the country’s immigration crackdown are being brought back across the border to complete their final school examinations, as authorities race to resolve their access to the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations.

The development follows efforts by the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Coordinating Committee (ZEPCC) to secure arrangements for Grade 12 pupils who left South Africa and subsequently faced uncertainty over whether they could register for or sit their matric examinations.

The South African Department of Basic Education confirmed that affected learners who return will have to write their examinations at an accredited examination centre in South Africa because the National Senior Certificate cannot be written from outside the country.

The department’s position came after ZEPCC approached officials with a plan to facilitate the return of affected candidates ahead of the examinations, which begin in October.

Department spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa said the arrangements were initially still being processed through the relevant government structures, including the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Immigration and Umalusi.

“The plan is still in its draft phase now, and … we hope to finalise it soon,” Vangqa said.

However, subsequent reports indicate that the process has since moved into implementation, with ZEPCC Academy appealing to affected Grade 12 pupils to return to South Africa ahead of the examinations.

The Citizen reported that the learners were being brought back during the week and that affected pupils would be accommodated at a boarding facility in Johannesburg while preparing for their examinations.

The Department of Basic Education previously put the number of cases known to it at about 149, while acknowledging that the figure could change as more individual cases were identified.

Some had already left South Africa following the June 30 deadline affecting Zimbabwean permit holders, while others reportedly remained in the country but faced difficulties around registration or examination requirements. ZEPCC has also appealed to learners who missed registration or other examination processes to come forward.

The Department of Basic Education has sought to clarify one of the biggest concerns surrounding the affected candidates: a South African identity document is not automatically a requirement for writing matric.

Vangqa said learners need some form of identification, but this does not necessarily have to be a South African document. In cases where a learner has no identification, an affidavit may be used, while teachers can also attest to the identity of pupils they have known and taught for more than a year.

“The exam room doesn't use identification as a form of exclusion,” Vangqa said, explaining that identification is intended to prevent impersonation and examination fraud.

The first NSC examination is scheduled for October 13, leaving affected learners with a limited period to travel, secure accommodation, reconnect with their schools and examination centres, and resume preparation.

The disruption comes after months of uncertainty for Zimbabwean families affected by South Africa’s immigration measures.

The Citizen previously reported that thousands of Zimbabwean children faced disruption after families left South Africa, with Grade 12 pupils considered particularly vulnerable because many had spent most or all of their schooling under South Africa’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement.

ZEPCC had warned that returning such pupils to Zimbabwe during their final year could create serious academic difficulties because the two countries have different curricula and examination systems.

Education activist Hendrick Makaneta, of the Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa, welcomed the arrangements, saying the priority should now be ensuring that the learners actually reach their examination centres and are not disadvantaged by logistical problems.

He said support would still be required in areas including transport, accommodation, examination logistics and preparation.

The development also follows South Africa’s wider response to concerns about vulnerable foreign nationals affected by migration enforcement.

In July, the South African government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration said humanitarian considerations remained part of its migration response and specifically referred to child-protection measures and support for vulnerable foreign nationals. The government also said immigration laws would continue to be enforced through lawful processes.