# Economics Grade 12 P2 NSC June 2023 Question Paper (English)

> Grade 12 Economics Paper 2 question paper from the NSC June Exam 2023 (English), 12 pages. Read online or get the free PDF download, memo linked when available.

- Page: https://www.hlayiso.com/library/economics-p2-may-june-2023-eng/c022cd8d-4cdf-4b35-875c-7237d9865653
- Updated: 2026-09-27
- Subject: Economics
- Grade: Grade 12
- Document type: Question paper
- Year: 2023
- Exam period: NSC June Exam
- Paper: 2
- Curriculum: CAPS
- Pages: 12

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Economics · Grade 12 · NSC June Exam · 2023. Question paper, 12 pages. Read online or download the PDF.

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             SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS/
         NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS

                                  ECONOMICS P2

                                        2023

                                                                     MARKS: 150

                                                                   TIME: 2 hours

                       This question paper consists of 12 pages.

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Economics/P2                                 2                                 DBE/2023
                                          SC/NSC

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1.        Answer FOUR questions as follows in the ANSWER BOOK:

          SECTION A: COMPULSORY
          SECTION B: Answer TWO of the three questions.
          SECTION C: Answer ONE of the two questions.

2.        Answer only the required number of questions. Answers in excess of the
          required number will NOT be marked.

3.        Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this
          question paper.

4.        Write the question number above each answer.

5.        Read the questions carefully.

6.        Start EACH question on a NEW page.

7.        Leave 2–3 lines between subsections of questions.

8.        Answer the questions in full sentences and ensure that the format, content
          and context of your responses comply with the cognitive requirements of the
          questions.

9.        Use only black or blue ink.

10.       You may use a non-programmable pocket calculator.

11.       Write neatly and legibly.

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Economics/P2                                    3                                 DBE/2023
                                             SC/NSC

SECTION A (COMPULSORY)
QUESTION 1                                                   30 MARKS – 20 MINUTES
1.1       Various options are provided as possible answers to the following questions.
          Choose the answer and write only the letter (A–D) next to the question
          numbers (1.1.1 to 1.1.8) in the ANSWER BOOK, e.g. 1.1.9 D.
          1.1.1      The amount by which total cost increases when one extra product
                     is produced is known as … cost.
                     A    fixed
                     B    total
                     C    marginal
                     D    average
          1.1.2      The process during which a business makes itself known to the
                     public is known as ...
                     A    advertising.
                     B    differentiation.
                     C    copyright.
                     D    patent.
          1.1.3      When the business does not produce at the lowest possible cost, it
                     is said to be … inefficient.
                     A    allocatively
                     B    productively
                     C    market
                     D    Pareto
         1.1.4       In a perfect market normal profit is achieved when total revenue is
                     equal to …
                     A    total variable cost.
                     B    marginal cost.
                     C    average revenue.
                     D    total cost.

         1.1.5       The prices set or controlled by government are called … prices.
                     A    infiltrated
                     B    administered
                     C    circulated
                     D    directed
          1.1.6      The activity of people travelling through South Africa using air,
                     road, water or rail transport to get to another destination is known
                     as … tourism.
                     A    transit
                     B    foreign
                     C    outbound
                     D    inbound

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Economics/P2                                        4                                     DBE/2023
                                                 SC/NSC

          1.1.7        The introduction of harmful substances into the atmosphere is
                       called … pollution.

                       A     land
                       B     noise
                       C     water
                       D     air

          1.1.8        The Command and Control (CAC) that focuses on the
                       environmental impact of the pollution emitted is called … standard.

                       A     quantity
                       B     social impact
                       C     quality
                       D     economic                                                     (8 x 2)       (16)

1.2    Choose a description from COLUMN B that matches the item in COLUMN A.
       Write only the letter (A–I) next to the question numbers (1.2.1 to 1.2.8) in the
       ANSWER BOOK, e.g. 1.2.9 J.

                      COLUMN A                                   COLUMN B
          1.2.1      Explicit cost           A      pertains to the cost of living

          1.2.2      Non-price competition B        incurred by consumers when they buy
                                                    goods
          1.2.3      Minimum prices
                                             C      a variety of plant and animal species in
          1.2.4      Private costs                  a particular area

          1.2.5      Consumer Price          D      actual expenditure of a business, such
                     Index                          as wages and rent

          1.2.6      Tourism                 E      set above the market equilibrium to
                                                    assist the producer in making a profit
          1.2.7      Biodiversity
                                             F      imposed on the output of goods that
          1.2.8      Environmental taxes            generate external costs

                                             G      granted to businesses to reduce
                                                    environmental damages

                                             H      the activity of people travelling to and
                                                    staying outside their usual environment
                                                    for no longer than one year

                                             I      a marketing strategy whereby firms seek
                                                    to increase sales through methods such
                                                    as extended shopping hours
                                                                                       (8 x 1)          (8)

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1.3       Give ONE term for EACH of the following descriptions. Write only the term
          next to the question numbers (1.3.1 to 1.3.6) in the ANSWER BOOK.
          Abbreviations, acronyms and examples will NOT be accepted.

          1.3.1      The period of production where all factors of production can
                     change

          1.3.2      A point where a firm's average revenue (price) is equal to the
                     average variable cost

          1.3.3      The sum of private benefit and external benefit

          1.3.4      A type of inflation where an economy experiences high rates of
                     unemployment, high rates of inflation and low economic growth

          1.3.5      South African citizens travelling within the borders of the country

          1.3.6      The permanent destruction of trees and forests                 (6 x 1)       (6)

                                                                     TOTAL SECTION A:             30

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Economics/P2                                    6                                       DBE/2023
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SECTION B

Answer any TWO of the three questions in this section in the ANSWER BOOK.

QUESTION 2: MICROECONOMICS                                      40 MARKS – 30 MINUTES

2.1       Answer the following questions.

          2.1.1       Name TWO types of costs that are used to calculate the total costs
                      of a firm.                                                 (2 x 1)              (2)

          2.1.2       How does the government address the challenge of an oversupply
                      of demerit goods?                                       (1 x 2)                 (2)

2.2       Study the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

                     FLYING AROUND SA HAS JUST GOT MORE EXPENSIVE

          Comair has been forced to ground flights several times due to safety and
          security risks. This has resulted in limited competition in the aviation space.

          With a considerable amount of competition almost instantly cut from South
          Africa's airspace, demand outstripped supply, driving up prices on other
          airlines and triggering a warning from the Competition Commission around
          price fixing.

                                                 [Adapted from Business Insider SA, 1 June 2022]

          2.2.1       Identify any ONE term in the extract that relates to price formation.           (1)

          2.2.2       Name the market structure where price fixing is common.                         (1)

          2.2.3       Briefly describe the term cartel.                                               (2)

          2.2.4       Explain the role of the Competition Commission in the economy.                  (2)

          2.2.5       How can low prices negatively affect the producers of goods and
                      services?                                                 (2 x 2)               (4)

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Economics/P2                                          7                                  DBE/2023
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2.3    Study the graph below and answer the questions that follow.

                                         PRODUCER SUBSIDY

               PRICE
                                                                  S
                               D                                        S1

                   P2                                    c

                   P                               a

                   P1                                       b

                           S           S1

                                                                             D

                       0                       Q       Q1
                                                                         QUANTITY

          2.3.1            Identify the original market price on the graph above.                      (1)

          2.3.2            Name any ONE product on which the government can offer a
                           subsidy to consumers.                                                       (1)

          2.3.3            Briefly describe the term market failure.                                   (2)

          2.3.4            Explain the effect of subsidies on producers of goods and services.         (2)

          2.3.5            Why are markets reluctant (unwilling) to produce public goods and
                           services?                                                  (2 x 2)          (4)

2.4       Briefly discuss immobility of factors of production and imperfect competition
          as causes of market failure.                                          (2 x 4)                (8)

2.5       How can an exit of firms in a perfect market affect the economy?               (4 x 2)       (8)
                                                                                                       [40]

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Economics/P2                                            8                                            DBE/2023
                                                     SC/NSC

QUESTION 3: CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC ISSUES                                 40 MARKS – 30 MINUTES

3.1       Answer the following questions.

          3.1.1           Name any TWO ways of measuring inflation.                                  (2 x 1)        (2)

          3.1.2           How does tourism positively contribute to the gross domestic
                          product (GDP)?                                        (1 x 2)                             (2)

3.2       Study the information below and answer the questions that follow.

                                           SOUTHAFRICAN
                                           SOUTH AFRICAN  INFLATION
                                                        INFLATION
           Index                                                                                       Rate

         105                                                                                                    7

         100                                                                                                    6

         95
                                                                                                                5

         90
                                                                                                                4

         85
                                                                                                                3
         80
              Jan 18     Jul 18   Jan 19    Jul 19   Jan 20    Jul 20   Jan 21     Jul 21   Jan 22     Jul 22
                                                                                       Month and year
                       Inflation index                        Headline inflation       en jaar and year
                                                                                        [Adapted from Stats SA]

          3.2.1           Identify the month and year when the inflation rate was above the
                          inflation target.                                                                         (1)

          3.2.2           Give ONE possible reason for an increase in the inflation rate
                          in 2022.                                                                                  (1)

          3.2.3           Briefly describe the term core inflation.                                                 (2)

          3.2.4           Explain the reason for the South African Reserve Bank to reduce
                          interest rates when the inflation rate is below 3%.                                       (2)

          3.2.5           How does inflation psychologically                 influence      the   various
                          participants in the economy?                                             (2 x 2)          (4)

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Economics/P2                                   9                                          DBE/2023
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3.3       Study the picture below and answer the questions that follow.

                                    TOURIST ATTRACTION SITE

                                                                 [Adapted from www.istockphotos.com]

          3.3.1      Identify the type of tourism depicted by the picture above.                       (1)

          3.3.2      Name any ONE World Heritage Site found in South Africa.                           (1)

          3.3.3      Briefly describe the term indigenous knowledge systems (IKS).                     (2)

          3.3.4      Explain the benefit of investing in tourism infrastructure.                       (2)

          3.3.5      How can tourism         activities   lead     to   environmental     stress
                     (challenges)?                                                       (2 x 2)       (4)

3.4       Briefly discuss household consumption and government expenditure as
          causes of demand-pull inflation.                              (2 x 4)                        (8)

3.5       Why is tourism in developing countries important in alleviating poverty? (4 x 2)             (8)
                                                                                                       [40]

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Economics/P2                                   10                                        DBE/2023
                                             SC/NSC

QUESTION 4: MICROECONOMICS AND CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC ISSUES
                                         40 MARKS – 30 MINUTES

4.1       Answer the following questions.

          4.1.1        Name any TWO groups of workers that benefit from minimum
                       wages.                                             (2 x 1)                   (2)

          4.1.2        Why do international tourists prefer South Africa as a tourist
                       destination?                                           (1 x 2)               (2)

4.2       Study the table below and answer the questions that follow.

                           MARKET A                               MARKET B
                     Quantity  Price        TR         Quantity      Price         TR
                        0       R10          -            0           R12           -
                        1       R10         R10           1           R10          R10
                        2       R10         R20           2           R8           R16
                        3       R10         R30           3           R6           R18
                        4       R10         R40           4           R4           R16
                        5       R10         R50           5           R2           R10

          4.2.1        Identify the market in which the demand curve shows a downward
                       slope.                                                                       (1)

          4.2.2        What is the nature of the products sold in a perfect market?                 (1)

          4.2.3        Briefly describe the term average revenue.                                   (2)

          4.2.4        Why do individual firms find it easy to enter a perfect market?              (2)

          4.2.5        Calculate the marginal revenue for market B at quantity 2. Show
                       ALL calculations.                                                            (4)

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Economics/P2                                  11                                    DBE/2023
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4.3       Study the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

                           TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

          Tourist arrivals in South Africa averaged 542 648 from 1979 until 2022. It
          reached a high of 1 598 893 in January 2018 and a record low of 29 341 in
          April 2020.

          South Africa offers both domestic and international tourists a wide variety of
          options, such as beautiful natural landscapes and game reserves, a diverse
          cultural heritage and highly regarded wines.

                                                              [Adapted from www.google.com]

          4.3.1      Identify an example of ecotourism in the extract above.                      (1)

          4.3.2      Give ONE reason for a decline in tourism in April 2020.                      (1)

          4.3.3      Briefly describe the term leisure tourism.                                   (2)

          4.3.4      Why are indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) important for
                     tourists?                                                                    (2)

          4.3.5      How does tourism solve the problem of unemployment in
                     South Africa?                                  (2 x 2)                       (4)

4.4       With the aid of a correctly labelled graph, explain maximum prices as a
          consequence of market failure.                                                          (8)

4.5       How can the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) use the monetary policy to
          combat inflation?                                               (4 x 2)                  (8)
                                                                                                  [40]

                                                                    TOTAL SECTION B:              80

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Economics/P2                                 12                                     DBE/2023
                                           SC/NSC

SECTION C

Answer any ONE of the two questions in this section in the ANSWER BOOK.

Your answer will be assessed as follows:

                                                                              MARK
                      STRUCTURE OF ESSAY
                                                                           ALLOCATION
Introduction
The introduction is a lower-order response.                                  Max. 2
 A good starting point would be to describe the main concept related to
    the question topic.
 Do NOT include any part of the question in the introduction.
 Do NOT repeat any part of the introduction in the body.
 Avoid mentioning in the introduction what you are going to discuss in
    the body.
Body
Main part: Discuss in detail/In-depth discussion/Examine/Critically          Max. 26
discuss/Compare/Distinguish/Differentiate/Explain/Draw a graph and
explain/Complete the given graph/Assess/Debate
A maximum of 8 marks may be allocated for headings/examples.

Additional part: Critically discuss/Evaluate/Critically evaluate/Debate/     Max. 10
Deduce/Compare/Interpret/How?/Suggest
A maximum of 2 marks may be allocated for mere listing of facts.
Conclusion
Any higher-order conclusion should include:                                  Max. 2
 A brief summary of what has been discussed without repeating facts
   already mentioned
 Any opinion or valued judgement on the facts discussed
 Additional support information to strengthen the discussion/analysis
 A contradictory viewpoint with motivation
 Recommendations
TOTAL                                                                          40

QUESTION 5: MICROECONOMICS                                    40 MARKS – 40 MINUTES

   Examine the characteristics of a monopoly in detail.        (26 marks)
   How does the existence of monopolies cause a challenge to the various
    role-players in the economy?                               (10 marks)                      [40]

QUESTION 6: CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC ISSUES                      40 MARKS – 40 MINUTES

   Discuss in detail any FIVE environmental problems and the international measures
    taken to address these challenges.                                    (26 marks)
   How can conservation and preservation help to ensure that the environment is
    sustained?                                                            (10 marks)           [40]

                                                                     TOTAL SECTION C:           40
                                                                        GRAND TOTAL:           150

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