“Our Doctors Are the Best”: Woman Claims South Africans Are More Educated Than First-World Countries

• A South African TikToker sparked a heated debate after arguing that SA's 30% matric pass mark does not make the country less educated than first-world nations
• The creator drew on her personal experience studying in the UK, where she said students were routinely pushed to the next grade regardless of performance
• South Africans flooded the comments section with strong opinions about the country's education system and how it compares globally

A South African content creator has started a conversation online that has many people rethinking how they view the country's education system. Lulama Xalipi, who goes by @lulamaxalipiworldwide on TikTok, posted a bold selfie-style video on 8 July 2026 from inside her car, making a case that South Africans are more educated than people in many leading first-world countries, even with the widely criticised 30% matric pass mark.

Her argument was direct. In the UK, she said, students are not failed during their formative years. Instead, they are moved forward to the next class regardless of whether they have actually mastered the work. Her concern was that this approach means many students who never reached even a basic standard of achievement end up progressing through school without the knowledge to show for it.

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TikTokker Lulama pointed to her time as a student in the UK as the foundation of her argument. She noted that UK universities were largely occupied by international and foreign students, which she attributed to the local population not being adequately prepared by their schooling system. She made a similar observation about the US education system, though she was careful to note she had not personally studied there. She also clarified the common misconception around the 30% pass mark, explaining that it applies only to one or two subjects, while the rest require higher marks for a learner to qualify for a matric certificate. Watch Lulama's full take on the SA education debate:

Mzansi discusses SA minimum pass rate

The video drew strong responses from viewers across the country:

@Zimi wrote:

"Even our medical doctors are the best."

@Justice Buhlungu said:

"I studied in US and I can confirm that we were pushed! I'm not sure why they push us but push us forward last year before 2013."

@Mr Luk noted:

"30% pass is the minimum pass mark for TVET College's entry level."

@Jane APLGO sweets added:

"Come to think about it, that 30% only applies to 1 or 2 subjects and the rest must be over 50%."

@Thembi_Soci_Is_My_Name shared:

"People think a 30% pass rate means people pass at 30%. That's weird coz you pass for the course you want to get into. Not aiming for 30%."

@leira994 said:

"Even the 30% isn't true. No one gets umatric ngo30%. Home language, no, and you can't get 6 30% and get umatric. Kodwa you speak facts, shame."

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@Xeezo X😊🇿🇦 replied:

"I agree with you, my sister. We are educated as South Africans."

Other Briefly News about SA and other countries

• An American student named Caroline, who is pursuing her Master’s degree in Cape Town, and she compared the grading systems of the United States and South Africa.
• People discussed a South African woman's TikTok that praised the unique way South Africans conduct themselves while living abroad.
• An American expat living in South Africa was torn between choosing her next city to call home in a heartfelt TikTok revelation about falling in love with each new South African destination.

Source: Briefly News