Stats SA notes increase in university failure rate
University students who fail to complete their studies are also contributing to the high cost of tertiary education.
Research by StatsSA has shown that since 2012, the number of university students who fail their exams has increased.
"If there's an input into a system whose maximum capacity is 500 000 - there's no reason why you should have twice that number in your institution. The costs are going to be terribly high," Statistician-General Pali Lehohla says.
Lehohla says this means they're spending more time than the average three or four years to obtain their qualifications.
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He says more and more students are focusing on the Fees Must Fall movement. But this means they aren't willing to pay for their studies which puts a strain on the national budget of R70 billion.
"If all students are saying 'fees must fall' - it will be addressing the wrong issue if we don't address the issue of repetition," he says.