South Africa Grade 8 Economic Management Sciences

This course equips learners with entrepreneurial skills, financial knowledge, and real-life skills for personal development. It covers three main topics:

1. Financial Literacy: This section introduces learners to basic financial concepts and skills. Topics covered may include:

• Basic accounting principles: Understanding assets, liabilities, and the accounting equation.
• Income and expenses: Differentiating between income and expenses, and understanding how to manage them.
• Types of financial transactions: Exploring different ways of managing money, such as electronic funds transfers (EFTs).
• Budgeting: Learning how to create and manage a budget.

2. The Economy: This section focuses on how the economy functions at various levels. Topics covered may include:

• The role of government in the economy: Understanding how government policies and regulations impact the economy.
• National budget: Analyzing how the government allocates resources through the national budget.
• Different economic systems: Comparing and contrasting different economic systems, such as market economies and planned economies.
• Factors of production: Identifying and understanding the factors of production (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship).
• Economic sectors: Exploring the different sectors of the economy, such as primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.

3. Entrepreneurship: This section introduces learners to the principles of entrepreneurship and business management. Topics covered may include:

• Generating business ideas: Developing creative and innovative business ideas.
• Business sectors and environments: Analyzing different business sectors and understanding the factors that influence the business environment.
• Different levels of management: Exploring the different levels of management within a business.
• Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs: Identifying the key traits and skills of successful entrepreneurs.
• Business plans: Learning how to develop a business plan.

This curriculum is based on the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). A variety of textbooks and workbooks are available to support learning in this subject.