So says Mankodi Moitse , the woman who heads the Kagiso Shanduka Trust, which has helped Free State top the Class of 2016. The largely rural province achieved an 88.2% matric pass, which included progressed learners those who had failed Grade 11 twice and been pushed through to Grade 12. The province beat Western Cape into second place with its score of 85.9% and Gauteng into third place with 85.1%.