NATIONAL
SENIOR CERTIFICATE
GRADE 12
JUNE 2024
ECONOMICS P1
MARKING GUIDELINE
MARKS: 150
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Economics Grade 12 P1 Eastern Cape June 2024 Memo (English)
Grade 12 Economics Paper 1 memorandum from the Eastern Cape June Exam 2024 (English), 22 pages. Read online or download the free PDF.
Economics · Grade 12 · Eastern Cape June Exam · 2024 · English. Memorandum, 22 pages. Read online or download the PDF.
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- 2024
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This exam
Eastern Cape June Exam 2024
Questions in this paper
- Question 1.1The circular flow model, national account aggregates and the multiplier16 marks
- Question 1.2The role of the public sector8 marks
- Question 1.3The role of the public sector6 marks
- Question 2The role of the public sector40 marks
- Question 3Business cycles and forecasting40 marks
- Question 4The role of the public sector40 marks
Document textSearch extracted text and jump to a page.
2 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
SECTION A (COMPULSORY)
QUESTION 1
1.1 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1.1.1 A – income method
1.1.2 D – Kuznets cycle
1.1.3 C – local
1.1.4 B – trade balance
1.1.5 B – autonomous consumption
1.1.6 C – trend line
1.1.7 D – accountability
1.1.8 A – depreciation (8 x 2) (16)
1.2 MATCHING ITEMS
1.2.1 D – A sum of taxes, imports and savings in a circular
flow
1.2.2 E – The government policy that is aiming at creating
economic growth without causing inflation
1.2.3 B – Goods that have benefits for their users and the
economy
1.2.4 A – Special form of credit that IMF can use when a country
experiences balance of payment difficulties
1.2.5 C – The proportion of additional income that households
choose to spend on goods and services
1.2.6 I – Used to control money supply through buying and
selling of government securities
1.2.7 H – businesses owned wholly or partly by the state and run
by a public authority
1.2.8 F – Buying of financial assets such as shares in companies
on the stock exchange of another country
(8 x 1) (8)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 3
1.3 GIVE ONE TERM
1.3.1 Open economy
1.3.2 Trough
1.3.3 Fiscal policy
1.3.4 Globalisation
1.3.5 Medium term expenditure framework
1.3.6 Economic growth (6 x 1) (6)
TOTAL SECTION A: 30
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4 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
SECTION B
Answer TWO of the three questions in this section in the ANSWER BOOK.
QUESTION 2: MACROECONOMICS
2.1 2.1.1 Name any TWO characteristics of public goods.
• Non-excludable
• Non-rivalry
• Indivisible
• Infinite/Endless consumption
• Non-rejectable
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 2 x 1) (2)
2.1.2 How can competition stimulate aggregate supply?
• Competition allows the establishment of new businesses in
different industries which will increase the production of
goods and services, stimulating aggregate supply.
• Competition encourages existing businesses to use more
efficient production methods which will increase productivity,
stimulating aggregate supply.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 1 x 2) (2)
2.2 DATA RESPONSE
2.2.1 Identify a term that refers to spending which does not
depend on income.
Autonomous consumption (1 x 1) (1)
2.2.2 Name ONE participant in a closed economy
• Government/The State
• Household/Consumers
• Firms/Businesses/Producers (Any 1 x 1) (1)
2.2.3 Briefly describe the concept multiplier.
A small initial increase in spending produces a proportionately
larger increase in aggregate national income.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 5
2.2.4 Explain the impact of an increase in savings on the value
of the multiplier.
If savings increase, there will be less money available to spend
on local goods and services and the value of the multiplier will
be small.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
2.2.5 Draw a well-labelled graph of a multiplier using the
information from the extract.
Marking grid
Correct drawing and labelling of axes = 1 mark
Correct drawing and indication of autonomous consumption = 1 mark
Correct indication of the consumption function = 1 mark
Correct indication of the equilibrium national income amount = 1 mark
Correct drawing and indication of the equilibrium line (E = Y) = 1 mark
(Max. = 4) (4)
2.3 DATA RESPONSE
2.3.1 Identify a reason for public sector failure from the
information above.
• Politicians
• Bureaucracy (Any 1 x 1) (1)
2.3.2 Name ONE feature of fiscal policy.
• Goal-bound
• Demand-biased
• Cyclical (Any 1 x 1) (1)
2.3.3 Briefly describe the term public sector failure.
Public sector failure occurs when the public sector fails to
optimally manage the economy and resources under its
control. / When government intervention in the economy
results in a more inefficient and ineffective allocation of
resources.
(Accept any other correct relevant responses.) (Any 1 x 2) (2)
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6 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
2.3.4 Explain the impact of high state debt on the provisioning of
public goods and services.
• A high state debt hinders the ability of a government to
provide public goods but instead focus on repaying the
debt.
• With the existing debt, the government is unable to borrow
from the same institution to provide social services.
(Accept any other relevant and correct response.) (Any 1 x 2) (2)
2.3.5 How can public sector failure affect the economy?
• The country can experience macro-economic problems such
as low economic growth and high unemployment
• Social instability can happen as a result of government failure
to provide services
• Poor implementation of progressive taxation can result in
growth in unequal income distribution
(Accept any other correct relevant responses.) (Any 2 x 2) (4)
2.4 Briefly discuss the real (actual) business cycle without the graph.
• A real business cycle is obtained when the effects of irregular events,
seasons and long-term trends are removed from time series data
• Real business cycle fluctuations are the result of exogenous changes
in the real economic environment
• Exogenous factors, like technological advances, cause fluctuations in
real output/supply
• Such supply-side shocks in the production function cause fluctuations
of output and employment
• It causes the rise and decline of the economic activities taking place
in an economy, that is, the expansion and recession of the
economy
• Random technological changes cause permanent effects on potential
output.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 4 x 2) (8)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 7
2.5 How can the South African government improve the quality of
public sector provisioning?
The South African government can improve the quality of public sector
provisioning by:
• awarding government contracts for service delivery to companies
with a positive track record
• allocating adequate resources to different departments to ensure
service delivery without failure
• eliminating unnecessary rules and procedures (bureaucracy) to
ensure efficient service delivery
• eliminating corruption among government officials by implementing
whistle blowing channels such direct telephone lines to report
corruption
• employing government officials based on qualifications, skills and
experience to ensure high competence level in the public
sector
• offering incentives such as performance bonuses to civil servants to
motivate them to perform their tasks successfully
• improving or upgrading the aging infrastructure to ensure reliable
service delivery
• avoiding nepotism, favouritism, bribery and cadre deployment in
recruitment procedures in the public sector
• privatising some government assets to improve efficiency in service
delivery, e.g. if Eskom could be privatised electricity supply
could improve
• holding government officials accountable for their decisions and
actions.
• implementing strict measures to reduce the mismanagement of
taxpayers’ money, e.g. Intensifying the implementation of the
Public Financial Management Act (PFMA)
• forming Private Public Partnerships to enable a faster, more efficient
delivery of goods and services
• encouraging a competitive work culture by hiring and retaining
talented individuals through competitive compensation
packages
• developing a framework for the appointment and payment of
members to the boards of state-owned companies
• focusing on scarce resources for highest financial impact
• setting clear costing and development mandates with financial
implications clearly set out
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 4 x 2)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/
examples.) (8)
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8 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
QUESTION 3: MACRO ECONOMICS
3.1 3.1.1 Name any TWO indicators underpinning forecasting in
business cycles.
• Leading indicator
• Lagging indicator
• Co-incident indicator
• Composite indicator (Any 2 x 1) (2)
3.1.2 How can income tax brackets influence taxpayers?
• An increase in income can push taxpayers into higher tax
brackets, if tax brackets remain the same, resulting in higher
taxes. (Bracket creep)
• Taxpayers do not receive the full benefits of an increase in
their wages.
• An increase in income will not shift households to higher tax
brackets, if tax brackets increase, thus preventing bracket
creep.
• Tax relief will be provided to workers as their existing salary
may fall in a lower tax bracket
• Their disposable income can increase allowing them to
spend more on goods and services
NOTE: Accept the explanation for a decrease in the tax bracket
which will have a negative impact on the consumer’s
disposable income.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 1 x 2) (2)
3.2 DATA RESPONSE
3.2.1 Identify a business cycle phase from the extract above.
Recovery (1)
3.2.2 Name ONE type of business cycle.
• Kitchin
• Jugler
• Kuznets
• Kondratieff (Any 1 x 1) (1)
3.2.3 Briefly explain the term business cycles.
A business cycle refers to successive periods of increasing and
decreasing economic activity over a period of time.
(Accept any correct relevant response.) (2)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 9
3.2.4 Explain the importance of moving averages as a feature
underpinning forecasting.
• Moving averages involves repeatedly calculating a series of
different average values along a time series to produce a
smooth curve.
• It is used to analyse the changes in a series of data over a
certain period of time
• Economists use moving averages to eliminate the effect of
sharp fluctuations in the business cycle
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 1 x 2) (2)
3.2.5 Why is it important for economists to make forecasts?
• Forecasts indicate when the next change in the business
cycle will occur.
• Forecasts are used to get an idea of where the economy is
headed.
• Investors use forecasts to adjust their strategy to take
advantage of future market events that will affect their
income.
• Businesses use forecasts to determine economic
events.
• Policymakers use forecasts to make possible changes to
monetary policy
(Accept any relevant correct relevant answer.) (Any 2 x 2) (4)
3.3 DATA RESPONSE
3.3.1 Identify a diagram from above that represents an increase
in the number of tourists from the USA to South Africa.
Diagram A (1)
3.3.2 Name the exchange rate system used in South Africa.
Free-floating exchange rate system (1)
3.3.3 Briefly describe the term exchange rate.
Exchange rate is the price of one currency in terms of another
currency.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
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10 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
3.3.4 Explain the impact on the rand if the number of tourists from
South Africa to the USA decreases.
• A decrease in the number of tourists from South Africa to the
USA will cause a decrease in the demand for dollars, therefore
the USA will decrease the supply of dollars to South Africa
• The decreased number of tourists will shift the supply curve
from S1 to S2
• The exchange rate will rise as the rand depreciates against the
dollar (Any 1 x 2) (2)
3.3.5 What benefits can countries of the world obtain from
international trade?
• International trade is an important stimulant for the economic
growth of a country.
• Demand for certain products by citizens of countries will
increase as trade increases, leading to increased production,
job opportunities, increased income and increased
expenditure.
• This will lead to a higher economic growth rate for countries of
the world.
• Being able to import also gives citizens access to a variety of
goods
• Infrastructure, such as harbour and transport networks, will be
developed in order to move the high volumes of goods.
• Unrestricted international trade increases competition.
• Competition on the other hand increases efficiency because it
demands the elimination of unnecessary costs and all
wastage.
• Increases in efficiency result in lower prices. (Any 2 x 2) (4)
3.4 Discuss the endogenous (Keynesian) explanation of business
cycles.
• These are factors that will affect the economy from within the market
system
• They believe that markets are inherently unstable
• Government intervention is needed
• Price mechanism gives rise to upswings and downswings
• For example: changes in patterns of consumer spending lead to
investment spending (Any 4 x 2) (8)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 11
3.5 How can the national budget promote socio-economic rights?
• More funds should be allocated in areas that are critical for promoting,
protecting, fulfilling and respecting human rights.
• The government should spend more on early childhood development,
basic education and healthcare.
• The budget should ensure adequate provision of financial resources
to local authorities to improve basic service delivery such as water
and sanitation
• The government should adjust welfare payment according to inflation
to ensure that households afford their basic needs such as food
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (8)
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12 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
QUESTION 4: MACROECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC PURSUITS
4.1 4.1.1 Name any TWO features of public sector failure.
• Ineffectiveness
• Inefficiency (2)
4.1.2 How can the government use taxation to stimulate economic
recovery?
• Reduce personal income tax to increase households'
disposable income and stimulate aggregate demand in the
economy.
• Decrease corporate income tax to increase profit prospects for
businesses, such that they can produce more goods and
services.
• Indirect taxes such as VAT and some excise duties may be
reduced to stimulate consumer spending.
• Provide tax exemptions or tax holidays to newly established
businesses such that they can establish themselves and
produce more output.
• Increase taxes on imports (tariffs) to increase demand for local
goods and stimulate domestic production.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 1 x 2) (2)
4.2 DATA RESPONSE
4.2.1 Identify the tax rate at which the government maximises tax
revenue.
50% (1)
4.2.2 Name any form of indirect tax paid by households to the
government.
• Value Added Tax / VAT ✓
• Excise duty (Sin tax, Fuel levy, Carbon tax, Sugar tax)
• Import duty / Import tariff
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (1)
4.2.3 Briefly describe the term progressive tax.
Tax system whereby people in higher-income groups pay higher
tax rates than those in lower-income groups.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 13
4.2.4 Explain the effect of a regressive tax system on income
distribution
Regressive tax system makes income to be more unequally
distributed / The income inequality amongst the population will
increase / The gap between low-income earners and high-income
earners will increase as low-income earners pay higher tax rates
than high-income earners.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
4.2.5 Why will tax revenue decrease if the government imposes very
high tax rates?
• Some businesses and individuals may be forced to evade tax,
resulting in lower tax revenue for the government.
• Some workers may be discouraged to enter the labour market,
which will reduce the tax base for the government.
• Businesses may reduce production or withdraw their
investments from the economy, which shrinks the tax
base.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (4)
4.3 DATA RESPONSE
4.3.1 Identify the period with the lowest repo rate in the information
above.
January 2023 – April 2023 (1)
4.3.2 Name the committee responsible for taking interest rate
decisions in South Africa.
SARB Monetary Policy Committee (1)
4.3.3 Briefly describe the term repo rate.
It is the interest rate at which the central bank of a country lends
money to commercial banks.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
4.3.4 Explain the relationship between inflation and unemployment
in the Phillips curve.
• A reduction in unemployment will cause an increase in inflation
because of the increased amount of spending by people that
were previously unemployed.
• Inverse relationship occurs when unemployment decreases,
and inflation will increase. (Any 1 x 2) (2)
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14 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
4.3.5 How can moral suasion be used as a tool to dampen the
overheated economy?
• When the South African Reserve Bank persuade banks to be
more careful when they grant credit, excessive spending is
curbed therefore business cycles are stabilised.
• By exerting moral pressure on banks, they encourage their
clients to save rather than spending thereby reducing
inflationary pressure.
• Strict measures applied by banks when lending money reduce
unnecessary borrowing thereby curbing demand pull
inflation.
(Accept any other relevant and correct response.) (Any 2 x 2) (4)
4.4 Briefly discuss price stability and economic equity as macro
economic objectives.
Price stability
• Prices are stable when inflation is kept within certain limits.
• Interest rates as the main instrument of monetary policy are used to
keep prices within these limits.
• Stable budget deficits also have a stabilising effect on the inflation
rate.
• An inflation target of 3%–6%, has been successful in keeping inflation
within certain limits.
• Stable prices result in job creation and economic growth.
(Accept any other relevant and correct response.) (Any 2 x 2)
(Max. 4)
Economic equity
• There is equity in the economy when there is neither the rich, nor the
poor.
• Redistribution of income and wealth is essential for this equity.
• Progressive taxation, taxation on wealth, taxation on profits, taxation
on spending and capital gains tax, are the redistribution methods used
in South Africa.
• Progressive taxation means that higher income earners will pay higher
or more tax.
• Social services such as free basic education and primary health care
are some of the redistribution methods.
(Accept any other relevant and correct response.) (Any 2 x 2)
(Max. 4)
(Allocate a maximum of 4 marks for mere listing of facts or examples)
(4 + 4) (8)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 15
4.5 How will producers respond to the different phases of the business
cycle?
• When the repo rate is low, during the recovery phase, businesses
produce more and employment increases
• During the prosperity phase, businesses take out loans to expand their
businesses as production increases due to increased demand
• When recession occurs, businesses suffer as interest rates
increase.
• Businesses lay off workers, reduce production and reduce
payments on delivery vehicles and equipment purchased on credit
during the prosperity phase
• Rising repo rate during the depression phase makes it difficult for
businesses to stay afloat. Many businesses close their doors
during this phase as banks seize property and equipment purchased
in the prosperity phase.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Any 4 x 2) (8)
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16 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
SECTION C
QUESTION 5: MACROECONOMICS
• Discuss in detail the markets within the four-sector model. (26 marks)
• How can the increase in injections impact on the South African
economy? (10 marks)
INTRODUCTION
• Markets coordinate economic activities and determine prices for goods and
services
• The circular flow model is a simplified representation of the interaction between
the participants of the economy
(Accept any other relevant introduction.) (2)
MAIN PART
Product/Goods market
• Product market is where goods and services are bought and sold
• Firms, government and foreign sector supply goods and services and their
movement is called real flow
• Consumers, firms, government and foreign sector buy goods and services and
their payments represent money flow
• Goods are defined as any tangible items such as food, clothing and cars that
satisfy some human needs
• In capital goods market products such as buildings and machinery are
exchanged
• Consumer goods market involves the trading of durable consumer goods, semi-
durable consumer goods and non-durable consumer goods
• Services are defined as non-tangible actions and includes wholesale and retail,
transport and financial markets
Factor/Resources/Input market
• Factor market is where factors of production are exchanged, e.g. the
labour market, property market and the financial markets
• Households are the owners of the factors of production and they sell them to
firms to produce goods and services
• The factors of production are labour, entrepreneurship, capital and land and they
are exchanged for wages, profit, interest, and rent respectively
• Factor services are real flows, and they are accompanied by counter flows of
income on the factor market
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 17
Financial markets
• Financial markets render financial services to the other participants in the
economy by gathering surplus funds and lending them to those who need
funding
• Banks, insurance companies and pension funds form part of the financial
markets
• Financial markets are not directly involved in production of goods and services,
but act as a link between households and businesses with surplus income and
other participants who require it
Money market
• The money market is the market for short-term and very short-term savings and
loans
• The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is a key institution in the money
market
• The SARB administers the function of legislating and managing the money
market
• Money market includes inter-bank lending for a period as short as overnight
• The securities traded include short term deposits, short term debentures and
treasury bills
Capital market
• The capital market is the market for long-term savings and loans
• The Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) is a key institution in the capital
market
• The securities traded in this market are long term deposits, mortgage bonds and
shares
Foreign exchange market
• The foreign exchange market is a multi-national market where currencies of all
the countries are traded, e.g. The South African rand can be exchanged for
the US dollar
• The foreign exchange market originates when one country imports goods from
another country and domestic currency has to be exchanged in order to pay for
such imports
• Foreign exchange can be bought and sold at the banks and foreign exchange
agencies
• The South African rand is freely traded in the forex markets and its value is
determined by the market forces of demand and supply
(Accept any other correct relevant response.)
(Allocate a max. of 8 marks for headings/subheadings/examples.) (Max. 26) (26)
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18 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
ADDITIONAL PART
Increases in injections may impact on the South African economy as follows:
• Increase in investments will expand the tax base thereby increasing tax
revenue for the government
• The government's capacity to develop infrastructure such as energy and
transport will increase
• Establishment of new businesses and infrastructure development projects
will create more employment
• Consumer spending may increase as households receive more income
leading to an increase in aggregate demand
• Increase in government expenditure on welfare payments and social
development improves the standard of living especially for the poor
people
• Increase in government spending in the form providing subsidies and
incentives to businesses will encourage production of more goods and
services
• Increase in subsidies may reduce the cost of production which will reduce
inflation in the economy
• Increase in South African exports may result in the appreciation of the rand
which will reduce the cost of importing production inputs such as oil
• Increase in export production contribute to an increase in the real GDP of
the country
• Balance of payments problems may decrease as the trade balance
increases due to an increase in exports
• Through the multiplier process, the country's national income will increase
by a bigger margin
(Accept any other correct relevant response)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/examples.)
(Accept any other correct higher order response.) (Max. 10) (10)
CONCLUSION
Markets are critically important institutions in our economic system, because
they regulate the market, to safeguard price stability and general business
confidence. (Max. 2)
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (2)
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 19
QUESTION 6: ECONOMIC PURSUITS
• Discuss in detail the reasons for international trade. (26 marks)
• How can a weaker rand affect the economy? (10 marks)
INTRODUCTION
International trade gives consumers and countries the opportunity to be exposed to
goods and services not available in their own countries, or which would be more
expensive domestically. / International trade is described as the exchange of
goods or services across international borders.
(Accept any correct relevant introduction.) (2)
MAIN PART
Demand reasons
Total demand for goods and services is influenced by:
The size of the population
• If the population growth increases, it causes an increase in demand, there are
more needs that must be satisfied.
• If the country does not have sufficient goods and services, they must be
imported from other countries. As local suppliers may not be able to satisfy this
demand.
Income levels
• Change in income causes a change in the demand for goods and services.
• If the per capita income of people in the country rises – this leads to greater
disposable income that can be spent on goods and services.
• This increased demand must be satisfied – if there are not enough goods and
services in the country – goods and services must be imported.
Change in the wealth of the population
• An increase in wealth leads to increased demand for goods
• People have more access to loans and can buy bigger and more luxuries.
• If the country itself cannot provide these luxury and highly technological
products – such goods must be imported
• These factors are favourable for developed countries but not for developing
countries.
• Developed country benefits more from international trade than developing
countries.
Preferences and tastes
• Preferences and tastes can play a role in determining prices, e.g., customers
in Australia prefer a particular product that they do not produce and have to
import, and it will have a higher value than in other countries.
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20 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
The difference in consumer patterns
• This is determined by the level of economic development in a country
• The consumption patterns of developed countries will differ from those of
developing countries.
• For example, a poorly developed country will have a high demand for basic
goods and services, but a lower demand for luxury goods.
• The need for basic necessities, such as food in developing countries may
result in more needed goods being imported. (Demand for technical
items)
Supply reasons
Natural resources (factors of production)
• Natural resources are not evenly distributed between all countries of the
world.
• They vary from country to country and can only be exploited in places where
such resources are found.
• Each country has its own unique mix of natural resources that enable them to
produce certain goods and services more effectively and at a relatively lower
price.
• For example, South Africa's gold and diamond resources have given us an
advantage in the production of gold and diamonds.
• South Africa is well equipped with different natural resources, but less
resourced with skilled labour and capital.
• Japan and Ireland which have an abundance of skilled labour, but they lack
natural resources.
Climatic conditions
• Differences in climatic conditions between countries make it possible for
certain countries to produce certain goods at a lower price than other
countries.
• Many crops can only be grown in certain climatic conditions in certain areas
and certain types of soil.
• Countries with favourable climate conditions make it possible for others to
produce certain goods at a lower price.
• An example is Brazil, which is the largest producer of coffee in the world.
Labour resources
• Labour differs between different countries in terms of skills, knowledge,
training, quality, quantity and also costs.
• Some countries have highly skilled, well-paid workers, and high productivity
levels, such as Switzerland (watch manufacturing)
• This enables them to produce goods and services at lower prices than they
could be produced by other countries.
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(EC/JUNE 2024) ECONOMICS P1 21
Technological resources
• The developmental levels and innovation processes of countries will always
differ and as a result other countries may have them in abundance, while others
may not.
• Countries such as Germany and the USA are able to use capital which
embodies high levels of technology, while other countries do not have access
to the latest technology, such as basic internet services and healthcare.
• Those countries that have high technological labour forces are able to produce
certain goods and services at a low unit cost, such as the developed
countries.
Specialisation
• Some countries specialise in the production of certain goods and
services.
• By specialising in the production of a certain good or service, it enables a
country to take advantage of economies of scale and can therefore produce
the good at a comparative unit cost advantage.
• For example, Japan specialises in the production of certain electronic goods
and sells them at a much lower price than they can be produced in other
countries.
• This often leads to mass production due to division of labour, automation, and
mechanisation.
• Cost differences occur because goods and services can be produced at lower
costs in one country than another country due to the theory of comparative
advantage.
• Most of these surplus productions get exported to other countries and the
revenue earned from these exports can be used to finance their imports.
Capital
• Capital cannot be obtained as easily in certain countries as in others.
• Developed countries enjoy an advantage over developing countries.
• Due to a lack of capital, certain countries cannot produce all the goods they
need, or they do not enjoy the favourable conditions as in other countries
• In some countries they need to modernise their industries and economies with
advanced machinery, equipment (plants), but cannot manufacture this
equipment, because they lack the capital to do so.
• This factor has therefore increased the need for international trade.
(Accept any other correct relevant answer.)
(Allocate a maximum of 8 marks for headings, listing of facts and examples.)
(Max. 26 marks) (26)
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22 ECONOMICS P1 (EC/JUNE 2024)
ADDITIONAL PART
How can a currency (rand) depreciation affect the economy?
Currency depreciation can affect the economy positively when:
• It is used as an expansionary monetary policy to counter cyclical measures to
stimulate demand, profits, output and jobs when an economy is in
recession.
• It brings an improvement in the balance of trade through higher export
sales.
• It provides a competitive boost to an economy through increasing the value of
profits and income for a country’s businesses with investments overseas.
• It leads to a positive multiplier within the circular flow of income and
spending.
Currency depreciation can negatively affect the economy when:
• It makes it harder for the government to finance a budget deficit if foreign
investors lose confidence.
• It increases the cost of imports e.g., rising prices for essential foodstuffs, raw
materials, which affects long-run productive potential of an economy.
• It makes it hard to pay for a trade deficit that is owed to overseas
creditors.
(Accept any other correct relevant response.) (Max. 10) (10)
CONCLUSION
International trade is important for countries to survive economically, as barriers to
trade would disadvantage all countries, due to their interdependency
globally.
(Accept any other relevant higher order conclusion.) (Max. 2) (2)
[40]
TOTAL SECTION C: 40
GRAND TOTAL: 150
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