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SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS/
NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS
ECONOMICS P1
2023
MARKING GUIDELINES
MARKS: 150
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Economics Grade 12 Paper 1 NSC June 2023 Memo (English)
Grade 12 Economics Paper 1 memorandum from the NSC June Exam 2023 (English), 22 pages. Read online or download the free PDF.
Economics · Grade 12 · NSC June Exam · 2023. Memorandum. Read online or download the PDF.
- Subject
- Economics
- Grade
- Grade 12
- Document type
- Memorandum
- Year
- 2023
- Exam period
- NSC June Exam
- Paper
- 1
- Curriculum
- CAPS
- Pages
- 22
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This exam
NSC June Exam 2023
Questions in this paper
- Question 1.1The circular flow model, national account aggregates and the multiplier16 marks
- Question 1.2The circular flow model, national account aggregates and the multiplier8 marks
- Question 1.3Protectionism and free trade6 marks
- Question 2The role of the public sector40 marks
- Question 3Protectionism and free trade40 marks
- Question 4The foreign exchange market and the balance of payments accounts40 marks
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Economics/P1 2 DBE/2023
SC/NSC – Marking Guidelines
SECTION A (COMPULSORY)
QUESTION 1
1.1 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1.1.1 B - current prices
1.1.2 D - composite
1.1.3 C - parastatals
1.1.4 A - comparative
1.1.5 B - Economic union
1.1.6 A - National Development Plan
1.1.7 C - National Research and Development Strategy
1.1.8 D - M1 (8 x 2) (16)
1.2 MATCHING ITEMS
1.2.1 H- the proportion of additional income that households choose
to spend on goods and services
1.2.2 E- use of taxation and government expenditure to achieve
macroeconomic objectives
1.2.3 D- the redistribution of income within the economy
1.2.4 A- the ratio between export and import prices measured by
means of indexes
1.2.5 B- the decrease in production costs due to high levels of
production
1.2.6 F - the worldwide integration of economies, with trade as an
important element
1.2.7 C- aims to significantly increase the number of previously
disadvantaged people who own, manage and control the
country's economy
1.2.8 I- committed to maintaining international peace, security,
social development and human rights (8 x 1) (8)
1.3 GIVE THE TERM
1.3.1 Extrapolation
1.3.2 Medium Term Expenditure Framework
1.3.3 Import substitution
1.3.4 Import quota
1.3.5 Land restitution
1.3.6 Regional development (6 x 1) (6)
TOTAL SECTION A: 30
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Economics/P1 3 DBE/2023
SC/NSC – Marking Guidelines
SECTION B
Answer any TWO of the three questions in this section.
QUESTION 2: MACROECONOMICS 40 MARKS – 30 MINUTES
2.1 Answer the following questions.
2.1.1 Name the TWO turning points of a business cycle.
Peak
Trough (2 x 1) (2)
2.1.2 Why would a decrease in South African exports lead to the
depreciation of the rand?
Supply of foreign currency will decrease which will increase the value
of foreign currency resulting in the depreciation of the rand / Demand
for local currency in export destination countries may decrease
resulting in depreciation
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (1 x 2) (2)
2.2 DATA RESPONSE
2.2.1 Identify the tax rate at which the government maximises tax
revenue.
50% (1)
2.2.2 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)
2.2.3 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)
2.2.4 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)
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2.2.5 Why will tax revenue decrease if the government imposes very
high tax rates?
Some businesses and individual 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) (2 x 2) (4)
2.3 DATA RESPONSE
2.3.1 Identify a concept that relates to the changes in the consumer
price index from the cartoon above.
Cost of living (1)
2.3.2 Name the explanation (approach) of business cycles
illustrated in the above cartoon.
Exogenous / Monetarist (1)
2.3.3 Briefly describe the term recession
Decline or negative growth in real Gross Domestic Product for at
least two consecutive quarters / The first stage of a downswing
where economic activity starts to decrease.
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
2.3.4 Explain the impact of the Ukraine/Russia war on local food
prices.
The Ukraine/Russia war resulted in a decreased supply and an
increase in prices of agricultural inputs from Russia, which led to
an increase in local food prices / Fuel prices increased resulting in
higher cost of transport which increased local food prices
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
2.3.5 How can the government use monetary policy to stimulate
economic activity?
The government can use expansionary monetary policy to
stimulate economic activity during the recession or depression
phase.
Reduction in interest rates will make credit cheaper which will
increase demand for goods and services
Money supply can be increased by granting more credit or
decreasing cash reserve requirements or buying securities via
open market transactions which will increase consumer
spending as well as production
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 2) (4)
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Economics/P1 5 DBE/2023
SC/NSC – Marking Guidelines
2.4 Briefly discuss the free-floating and the fixed exchange rate systems.
Free-floating
The value of a currency is solely determined by market forces, i.e.
demand for rand and supply of rand.
The government does not intervene in the foreign exchange market to
influence exchange rates.
The exchange rate fluctuates as market conditions change
Any differences in supply and demand are automatically corrected in
the market.
South Africa uses a free-floating exchange rate system that allows the
currency to adjust to global conditions (2 x 2) (4)
Fixed
The government determines or pegs the exchange rate based on the
value of another currency such as the US dollar.
The central bank buys and sells foreign exchange to maintain the
exchange rate at the set level.
The government can devaluate the exchange rate to a lower level in
terms of other currencies or revaluate it to a higher level. (2 x 2) (4)
(Accept any other correct relevant response)
(Allocate a maximum of 4 marks for a mere listing of facts/
examples) (8)
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 contract for service delivery to companies with a
positive track record
allocating adequate resources to different department 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 official 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
privatizing some government assets to improve efficiency in service
delivery, e.g. If Eskom could be privatized electricity supply could
improve
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Economics/P1 6 DBE/2023
SC/NSC – Marking Guidelines
holding government officials accountable for their decisions and
actions.
implementing strict measures to reduce 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 Board 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) (4 x 2)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/
examples) (8)
[40]
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QUESTION 3: ECONOMIC PURSUITS 40 MARKS – 30 MINUTES
3.1 Answer the following questions.
3.1.1 Name any TWO examples of wealth tax.
Capital gain tax
Transfer duty
Estate duty
Property tax
Donations tax
Dividend tax
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 1) (2)
3.1.2 Why is small business development important to the South
African economy?
Small businesses can help to create employment for those who are
structurally unemployed / Small businesses may create sources of
income for the households thereby reducing poverty in the country
/ Small businesses contribute to economic growth / Small
businesses increase competition which increases economic
efficiency (2)
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (1 x 2)
3.2 DATA RESPONSE
3.2.1 Identify a term in the extract above, which relates to the
removal of import tariffs.
Duty-free (1)
3.2.2 Name ONE other trade protocol of which South Africa is part.
Southern African Custom Union (SACU)
Multilateral Monetary Area (MMA)
Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
African Union (AU)
Japan-South Africa's Partnership Forum
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)
European Union (EU)
Mercusor
African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA)
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (1)
3.2.3 Briefly describe the term protectionism.
Government policy that discourages the importing of certain goods
and services so that domestic industries are not exposed to unfair
foreign competition
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
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3.2.4 Explain a disadvantage when applying the protectionism
policy.
Other countries may retaliate by implementing protectionism
measures as well
Industries may become too reliant on protection and lose the
ability to compete efficiently when protection is removed
It is difficult to establish which industries that have the potential
to be competitive and will need protection
Decisions about when to reduce or remove protection measures
are difficult to make
Inefficient producers are protected at the expense of the
consumers who buy the products
Protected industries may not mature and develop skills to
compete on their own
Local consumers may be denied of better-quality products
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
3.2.5 How can the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
negatively affect South Africa?
South African local businesses may face unfair competition from
American products that are imported at lower prices.
Unemployment may increase as local businesses may be
forced to shutdown
Local businesses may make less profits due to a decrease in
demand for their products
South African businesses may be forced to reduce their prices
to match competition from the US
South Africa's quality standards, especially on food products
may be compromised
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 2) (4)
3.3 DATA RESPONSE
3.3.1 In which year did South Africa record the highest human
development index?
2019 (1)
3.3.2 Name ONE indicator used to measure human development.
Per capita income
Literacy rate
Life expectancy (1)
3.3.3 Briefly describe the term economic development
The improvement in the standard of living of a country's population
over a period of time
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
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3.3.4 Why did South Africa experience a decline in social and
economic development in 2020?
In 2020 many people lost their employment and other sources
of income due to the lockdown restrictions to reduce spreading
of Covid-19
Life expectancy decreased because of the threat imposed by
coronavirus on human lives
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
3.3.5 How can the government improve the standard of living for
the people?
The government can improve the standard of living by:
improving education and training for the people to gain skills
and knowledge that will help them find employment and
create employment (entrepreneurship)
attracting more investments for people to get jobs and
receive some income
paying welfare grants to the poor and vulnerable to allow
them to afford their basic needs
improving health care services, sanitation and water supply
for the people to live a healthy lifestyle
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 2) (4)
3.4 Briefly discuss partnerships and good governance as benchmark
criteria for regional development.
Partnerships
Regional development is the responsibility of different stakeholders in
the economy
Partnerships should be built between central government, local
authorities, civil society, special interest groups, NGOs and the private
sector
Partnerships should be formed in order to improve transparency and
encourage more 'buy in' from all role players
Partnerships amongst all role players within the economy is
encouraged by the South African government as it builds a more
inclusive economy (Accept any other correct relevant response)
(2 x 2) (4)
Good governance
Regional development strategies should be managed effectively and
free of corruption
Principles of accountability and transparency should be applied to
ensure efficient financial management and control
Projects should be correctly programmed, monitored and
evaluated
Good governance requires proper management of public funds in
many provinces and municipalities
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 2) (4)
(Allocate a maximum of 4 marks for a mere listing of facts/ (8)
examples)
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Economics/P1 10 DBE/2023
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3.5 Evaluate the impact of export promotion on local industries in South
Africa.
Export promotion may impact on local industries in the following ways:
Positive impact
Bigger export markets allow local businesses to sell more products and
generate more income
South African industries may produce goods in large quantities and
benefit from economies of scale
The average cost of production may be minimised which allows local
businesses to export their product at lower and competitive prices
Incentives provided by the government, such as the concessions on
transport costs may increase profits for exporters
Export subsidies reduce production costs and increase the
competitiveness of exporting businesses on international markets
Local industries will become more innovate and produce better quality
products to gain competitive advantage on international markets
(Accept any other correct relevant response)
Negative impact
Producers who receive financial incentives from the government may
lose their creativity and innovation in term of productive efficiency
Producer may have a false sense of security as subsidies distort the
actual cost of production
Businesses that do not receive the government's financial support may
find it difficult to compete on export markets
Export industries may lose the market when foreign countries retaliate
by imposing tariffs and quota on imported goods
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (4 x 2)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/
examples) (8)
[40]
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QUESTION 4: MACROECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC PURSUITS
40 MARKS – 30 MINUTES
4.1 Answer the following questions.
4.1.1 Name any TWO characteristics of public goods.
Non-excludable
Non-rivalry
Indivisible
Infinite/Endless consumption
Non-rejectable
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 1) (2)
4.1.2 How can South African workers benefit from import
substitution?
More South African workers will get employed to produce the
goods that substitute foreign products / Workers will gain new
knowledge and skills from producing products that were previously
imported
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (1 x 2) (2)
4.2 DATA RESPONSE
4.2.1 Identify the item that records an investment made in a specific
asset, with a fixed future value such as gold
Net financial derivatives (1)
4.2.2 Name the item that caters for any omissions and errors in the
balance of payments.
Unrecorded transactions (1)
4.2.3 Briefly describe the term portfolio investment.
The purchasing of financial assets such as shares on the stock
exchange
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
4.2.4 Explain the purpose of Special Drawings Right (SDR)
allowances in Reserve Assets.
To finance the Balance of Payments disequilibria/deficit
experienced by member countries
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
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4.2.5 Use the information in the table above to calculate the memo
item (A). Show ALL calculations.
Net direct investment 32 367
Net portfolio investment -4 688
Net financial derivatives -3 465
Net other investments 9 594
Memo item: Balance on Financial Account
excluding reserve assets 33 808 (4)
4.3 DATA RESPONSE
4.3.1 Identify the Industrial Development Zone that manufactures
vehicles.
Coega IDZ
East London IDZ (1)
4.3.2 Name the key economic activity that Saldanha IDZ specialises
in.
Steel industries (1)
4.3.3 Briefly describe the term corridor
A track of land that forms a passageway allowing access from one
area to another and providing advantages for the mining,
agriculture and manufacturing industries
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
4.3.4 Why is it necessary for the government to provide incentives
to businesses?
To encourage businesses to produce more output of a specific
product
To attract more investments to a particular economic activity or
product
To attract businesses to neglected areas
Financial incentives are provided to motivate producers by
reducing the cost of production
To diversify trade
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2)
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4.3.5 How can South Africa benefit from the introduction of Special
Economic Zones (SEZ)?
South Africa can benefit from the introduction of SEZ in the
following ways:
Economic growth is stimulated by attracting more
investments in key growth areas
Broader industrial areas that are not linked to airports or
ports are created
Job opportunities created especially in manufacturing sector
will promote further skills development
Production of a wide variety of goods and services will
diversify the economy
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (2 x 2) (4)
4.4 With the aid of a well labelled Phillips curve, explain the relationship
between inflation and unemployment
Correct drawing(shape)
PHILLIPS CURVE and labelling of PC = 1 mark
Correct labelling of
vertical axis = 1 mark
Correct labelling of
horizontal axis = 1 mark
Any correct indication of
the trade-off from point
A to B and B to C = 1 mark
Max 4
The curve illustrates that there is a trade-off or inverse relationship
between unemployment and inflation
The negative relationship implies that the government can choose how
much unemployment they wish to trade-off for inflation
Point A represents the natural unemployment rate of 14% where
inflation rate is 0%
When the government implement demand-side policies to reduce
unemployment from 14%, inflation will increase
Between point A and B, if unemployment rate decreases from 14% to
10%, inflation rate will increase from 0% to 2%.
Between point B and C, if unemployment rate decreases from 10% to
8%, inflation rate will increase from 2% to 6%.
(Accept any other correct relevant response) Max 4
(Allocate a maximum of 4 marks for a mere listing of facts/
examples) (8)
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4.5 Analyse the demand-side and supply-side factors that influence
economic growth in South Africa.
Positive factors
Government subsidies in form of cash grants paid to the SMMEs help to
improve the competitiveness of small businesses
Increase in government expenditure on infrastructure development
especially in neglected areas will attract investments to different regions of
the country
Foreign direct investments help to create new job opportunities and
contribute to the real GDP
Increasing investments in skills development improves the skills of the
South African workers and productivity which will increase production
output
Demand for clean energy produced from solar and other sources results
in the establishment of new companies which will create jobs
Reduction of corruption in state-owned enterprises will improve efficiency
of infrastructural services thereby increasing production
(Accept any other correct relevant response)
Negative factors
Poor health care services and education may result in lower labour
productivity which will reduce production output
Inadequate infrastructures such as roads, railway lines and bridges make
transportation more expensive and slows the overall efficiency of the
country
Low investors' confidence towards the South African economy reduces
the ability of the economy to attract foreign direct investments
Low levels of savings have reduced the availability of loanable funds
resulting in less private investments
Political, industrial and social instability reduce investors' confidence
leading to a net capital outflow
Electricity shortages lead to lower output as production is lost through the
nation-wide power cuts
Rising prices of imported production inputs such as oil and agricultural
input prices lead to higher production costs which may discourage some
producers
High inflation rate, recorded above the upper-limit of the inflation target,
resulted in low consumer spending, discouraging production of goods and
services
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (4 x 2)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/examples) (8)
[40]
TOTAL SECTION B: 80
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SECTION C
Answer any ONE of the two questions in this section.
QUESTION 5: MACROECONOMICS 40 MARKS – 40 MINUTES
Discuss in detail the markets within the four-sector circular flow model.
(26 marks)
How can the increases in injections impact on the South African
economy? (10 marks)
INTRODUCTION
The circular flow is a simplified economic model that illustrates the inter-relationship
between the economic participants OR
A market is a mechanism that brings buyers and sellers together to exchange different
types of products
(Accept any other correct relevant introduction) (Max 2)
BODY: MAIN PART
FOUR TYPES OF MARKETS IN THE CIRCULAR FLOW
(a) 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
(b) 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 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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(c) Financial markets
Financial markets render financial services to the other participants in the
economy by gathering surplus funds and lending them to those who needs
funding
Banks, insurance companies and pension funds form part of the financial
market
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
(d) 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 have 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)
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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) (Max 10)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/ examples)
CONCLUSION
Markets ensure availability of consumer goods and services to households and
government while allowing businesses access to factors of production.
(Accept any other relevant higher order conclusion.) (Max 2) [40]
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QUESTION 6: ECONOMIC PURSUITS 40 MARKS – 40 MINUTES
Discuss in detail the various social indicators. (26 marks)
How can urbanisation influence the standard of living for the South African
population? (10 marks)
INTRODUCTION
Social indicators are measures that economists use to evaluate the performance of a
country in terms of the social well-being of its citizens
(Accept any other correct relevant introduction) (Max 2)
MAIN PART
1. Demographics
This deals with the characteristics of the population, such as size, race, age,
gender, income geographic distribution, language, education, occupation and
religion
These are definable issues related to human well-being over a period of
time
The size of the population is important for infrastructure and social programmes
(a) Population growth:
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population
or dispersed group
In South Africa population numbered 59,4 million in 2020, an increase of
1,23% from 2019
Population growth is slowing down as the current population in 2022 is
approximately 60 million, an increase of 0,84% from 2021
Measuring population growth is important for delivering social services
and for identifying the size of the tax base (the total number of people
paying taxes)
Understanding population growth is important for predicting, managing,
monitoring, and eradicating pest and disease outbreaks
Population growth usually has implications for indicators related to
education, infrastructure and employment
Human settlements and the use of natural resources are also related to
population growth
(b) Life expectancy
The term 'life expectancy' refers to the number of years a person can
expect to live
Life expectancy is based on an estimate of the average age that
members of a particular population group will be when they die
In 2019, life expectancy for women in South Africa was about 67,68
years, while life expectancy for men was about 60,73 years on
average
It is a measure that is often used to determine the overall health of a
community
Changes in life expectancy are often used to describe trends in
mortality
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An increase in life expectancy may increase the productivity of available
human resources, e.g., by improving health of workers
Life expectancy for a particular population group depends on factors such
as their lifestyle, access to healthcare, diet and economic status
2. Nutrition and Health
The standard of living of the population is related to the quality of nutrition and
health
Nutrition
(a) Child malnutrition
Malnutrition is expressed in two ways – weight for age (under-weight)
and height for age (dwarfism)
The proportion of underweight children is the most important indicator of
malnutrition
In South Africa malnutrition is one of the leading causes of child deaths,
and the number of affected children is increasing
The main causes of childhood malnutrition are household food insecurity,
inadequate care and unhealthy household environment, and lack of
health care services
(b) Overweight children/Obesity
There is an association between obesity of children and other
diseases
South Africa has a combined overweight and obesity prevalence of
13,5% in children aged 6–14 years, which is higher than the 10% global
prevalence in school children
Health
(a) Infant mortality/Child mortality
Infant mortality refers to the number of children who die before the age of
one year and it is one way of measuring the health of a population
The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1 000 live
births
Infant mortality rate of South Africa decreased gradually from 93,59 deaths
per thousand live births in 1971 to 25,11 deaths per thousand live births in
2020
The main causes of infant mortality in South Africa are HIV and AIDS,
pregnancy and childbirth complications, and malnutrition, which are all
related to poverty
Reducing infant mortality requires increased health sector spending and
improved health systems functioning
(b) Under-five mortality
Under-five mortality is the number of children that will die before the age of
5 years
Under-five mortality rate of South Africa fell gradually from 143,8 deaths per
thousand live births in 1971 to 32,6 deaths per thousand live births in 2020
(c) Health expenditure
Health expenditure measures the amount of money spent on health as a
percentage of GDP
In 2019, health expenditure as a share of GDP for South Africa was
9,1%
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(d) Access to safe drinking water
Access to safe drinking water measures the percentage of a population that
has reasonable access to safe drinking water
In South Africa the most improved water source was piped water inside the
house with about 44% of households having such access
South Africa is expected to experience a water deficit of 17% by 2030, and
climate change may worsen the situation
(e) Access to sanitation facilities
Access to sanitation facilities measures the percentage of a population with
at least adequate sanitation facilities that can prevent human, animal and
insect contact
In South Africa about 80% of households use an improved sanitation
facility
Approximately, 61% of households have flush toilets connected to the public
sewer and about 12% of households have pit toilets with ventilation
pipes
Poor sanitation causes economic losses associated with the direct costs of
treating illnesses and lost income through reduced productivity
3. Education
People's standard of living is directly related to their level of formal education
Five or six years of schooling is a critical threshold for the achievement of
sustainable literacy and numeracy skills
(a) Public expenditure
Public expenditure measures the percentage of the national budget that is
directed towards education
In South Africa education receives the greatest share of government
spending, with 21% of non-interest allocations set aside for basic and higher
education
Government expenditure on education, as a percentage of GDP in South
Africa was about 6,2 % in 2020
(b) Secondary enrolment
Secondary enrolment shows the percentage of an age group attending high
school
Secondary school enrolment, in South Africa has been improving over the
last decade
(c) Primary completion
Primary completion refers to the percentage of an age group that has
completed primary education
The percentage is an indicator of the efficiency of the education system
The primary school completion percentage for South Africa increased from
77,07% in 1991 to 92% in 2019
(d) Youth literacy rate
Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both
read and write
Youth literacy rate of South Africa increased from 97,6% in 2007 to 99% in
2015, growing at an average annual rate of 0,24%
Literacy not only enriches an individual's life, but it creates opportunities for
people to develop skills that will help them provide for themselves
Literacy improves the ability of individuals to access information
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4. Services
Services are vital to enhance people's lifestyle and level of economic and social
development
(a) Electricity
The percentage of households connected to the country's main electricity
supply increased to 84,7% in 2018
(b) Refuse removal
Approximate 66,4% of households in South Africa had access to refuse
removal by the local authorities once a week in 2018
(c) Water supply
In South Africa about 89% of households had access to clean water in
2018
(d) Sanitation
Just over 83% of households in South Africa had access to functioning basic
sanitation in 2018
e.g. flush toilets/pit toilets with ventilation pipes/and chemical toilets
5. Housing and urbanisation
The standard of living of the population is directly related to the quality of their
housing and services
Housing
In 2017, about 80% of South Africans were living in formal dwellings
A further 14% was living in informal housing, which are mostly squatter
settlements on the periphery of cities and towns and in the gardens of formal
houses
The remaining 6% was living in traditional homes in rural villages
Many South African citizens are poor and cannot afford property
The government supplies housing subsidies and the private sector provides
housing loans
The government built 2,7 million low-cost houses over the past 15 years, but
there is still an estimated backlog of 2 million more
Adequate housing can also facilitate labour mobility within the economy and
help the economy adjust to adverse shocks
Urbanisation
Urbanisation occurs because people move from rural areas (countryside) to
urban areas (towns and cities)
Urbanisation is the process of increasing the proportion of people living in towns
and cities
South Africa is urbanising rapidly with 63% of households already living in urban
areas
The statistics are expected rise to 71% by 2030 which will increase demand on
basic infrastructure requirements
Urbanisation is measured/caused by natural growth of the urban population,
rural-urban migration and the establishment of new towns
(Accept any other correct relevant response)
(Allocate a max of 8 marks for headings/subheadings/examples) (Max 26)
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ADDITIONAL PART
Urbanisation can influence the standard of living for the South African
population as follows:
Positive influence
More people will have access to employment in manufacturing industries which
will increase income levels
Children will have access to better quality education because most schools in
urban areas have better infrastructural facilities
Illnesses and diseases will decrease due to improved access to proper
sanitation and clean water
South Africans will have access to a variety of goods and services thereby
improving the quality of their lives
People may take advantage of the entrepreneurial opportunities available in
towns to start small businesses, thereby creating sources of income
( Accept any other correct relevant response)
Negative influence
Movement of people from rural to urban areas may causes overpopulation of
cities and towns which may result in more criminal activities
Excess demand for services may result in poor services delivery by the
government
Overpopulation may also result in the development of informal settlements that
are associated with poor water supply and sanitation
Illnesses and diseases may increase in overpopulated towns
Informal settlements may result in illegal connections of electricity putting
human lives in danger
Traffic congestion in cities and towns may increase road accidents resulting in
loss of lives
(Accept any other correct relevant response) (Max. 10)
(Allocate a maximum of 2 marks for a mere listing of facts/ examples)
CONCLUSION
Social indicators are the best yardsticks in checking the development and progression
of communities as a result of government initiatives to improve the lives of the society
at large
(Accept any other relevant higher order conclusion) (Max. 2) [40]
TOTAL SECTION C: 40
GRAND TOTAL: 150
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