2026
,GRADE 12 ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY FOCUS TOPICS FOR 2023
(EXTRACT FROM THE 2021 EXAMINATION GUIDELINES)
The structure of the economy
➢ Economic sectors – definitions and examples:
• Primary
• Secondary
• Tertiary
• Quaternary
➢ Contribution of economic sectors to the South African economy:
• Definition, interpretation of, value and contribution to, GNP and GDP
• Employment (linked to different sectors, interpretation and application)
➢ Use/Interpretation of statistical and graphical information
Agriculture
➢ Contribution of agriculture to the South African economy
➢ Small-scale farming and large-scale farming: definition, characteristics and
interpretation
➢ Main products produced (definition and examples)- home market and export
market
NOTE: Instruction at the beginning of the section on Economic Geography
EXAMINATION YEAR PRESCRIBED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT
November 2026 2026/7 Maize
May/June 2027
➢ Areas of production on a map, identification and interpretation
➢ Apply factors that favour and hinder agriculture in South Africa to the product
studied.
➢ Contribution of prescribed product to the South African economy
➢ Food security:
• Definition of food security and food insecurity
• Importance of food security in South Africa
• Factors influencing food security in South Africa
• Strategies to improve food security in South Africa
• Case studies related to food security and food insecurity in South Africa.
1
,Mining
➢ Contribution of mining to the South African economy
➢ Significance of mining to the development of South Africa
➢ A case study of one of South Africa's main minerals produced
NOTE: Instruction at the beginning of the section on Economic Geography
EXAMINATION YEAR PRESCRIBED MINERAL
November 2026 2026/7 Platinum
May/June 2027
• Location of mineral studied on a map, identification and interpretation
• Apply factors that favour and hinder mining in South Africa to the main
minerals above
• Contribution of prescribed mineral to the South African economy
Secondary and Tertiary Sectors
➢ South Africa's core/main industrial regions:
• Gauteng (PWV), Durban-Pinetown, Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage, South-
western Cape
• Location of the above FOUR core industrial regions on a map
Contribution of secondary sector to the South African economy
➢ Types of industries (definition, description, examples and characteristics):
• Heavy and light
• Raw material orientated
• Market orientated
• Footloose industries
• Ubiquitous industries
• Bridge (Break of bulk)
➢ Factors favouring industrial development in South Africa:
• Raw materials
• Labour supply
• Water supply
• Energy supply
• Transport
• Political intervention
• Competition
• Trade
➢ Factors hindering industrial development in South Africa:
• Over-concentration
• Transport
• Air pollution
• Labour supply
• Water supply
• Energy supply
• Raw materials
• Political interference
• Competition
• Trade
2
, EXAMINATION YEAR PRESCRIBED CORE INDUSTRIAL REGION
November 2026 2026/27 Gauteng (PWV)/Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage
May/June 2027
NOTE: The TWO prescribed core industrial regions stipulated for each year should
be taught.
➢ Key facts to concentrate on with regards to the prescribed core industrial areas
• Map showing their location
• Factors influencing the location of the prescribed industrial region
• Main industrial activities in the prescribed industrial region
• Factors that favour and hinder the continued success of the prescribed core
industrial regions studied
• Economic and social impacts of the prescribed core industrial region
• Case studies to illustrate the above
➢ Strategies for Industrial Development
Overview of apartheid industrial development strategy:
• The Good Hope Plan
Overview of post-apartheid industrial development strategies:
• The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP)
• Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR)
• Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) and spatial development Initiatives
(SDIs):
• Case studies of two Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) and Spatial
Development initiatives (SDIs):
EXAMINATION YEAR IDZ SDI
November 2026 2026/27 Coega Wild coast
May/June 2027
NOTE: The ONE prescribed IDZ and SDI stipulated for each year should be taught
➢ Key facts to concentrate on with regard to the prescribed IDZ's and SDI's
• Definition and difference between an IDZ and SDIs
• Map showing the location of prescribed IDZs and SDIs
• Factors influencing the location of the prescribed IDZs and SDIs
• Main industrial activities
• Factors that favour and hinder the development of the prescribed IDZs and
SDIs
• Economic and social impacts
• Case studies to illustrate the above
Teachers will have to do some research on the prescribed SDIs as different
textbooks focus on different SDIs.
Industrial centralisation and decentralisation
➢ Definition, causes, advantages/disadvantages and solutions
➢ Contribution of tertiary activities to the South African economy:
• Definition of tertiary activities
• Examples of tertiary activities
3
,GRADE 12 ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY FOCUS TOPICS FOR 2023
(EXTRACT FROM THE 2021 EXAMINATION GUIDELINES)
The structure of the economy
➢ Economic sectors – definitions and examples:
• Primary
• Secondary
• Tertiary
• Quaternary
➢ Contribution of economic sectors to the South African economy:
• Definition, interpretation of, value and contribution to, GNP and GDP
• Employment (linked to different sectors, interpretation and application)
➢ Use/Interpretation of statistical and graphical information
Agriculture
➢ Contribution of agriculture to the South African economy
➢ Small-scale farming and large-scale farming: definition, characteristics and
interpretation
➢ Main products produced (definition and examples)- home market and export
market
NOTE: Instruction at the beginning of the section on Economic Geography
EXAMINATION YEAR PRESCRIBED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT
November 2026 2026/7 Maize
May/June 2027
➢ Areas of production on a map, identification and interpretation
➢ Apply factors that favour and hinder agriculture in South Africa to the product
studied.
➢ Contribution of prescribed product to the South African economy
➢ Food security:
• Definition of food security and food insecurity
• Importance of food security in South Africa
• Factors influencing food security in South Africa
• Strategies to improve food security in South Africa
• Case studies related to food security and food insecurity in South Africa.
1
,Mining
➢ Contribution of mining to the South African economy
➢ Significance of mining to the development of South Africa
➢ A case study of one of South Africa's main minerals produced
NOTE: Instruction at the beginning of the section on Economic Geography
EXAMINATION YEAR PRESCRIBED MINERAL
November 2026 2026/7 Platinum
May/June 2027
• Location of mineral studied on a map, identification and interpretation
• Apply factors that favour and hinder mining in South Africa to the main
minerals above
• Contribution of prescribed mineral to the South African economy
Secondary and Tertiary Sectors
➢ South Africa's core/main industrial regions:
• Gauteng (PWV), Durban-Pinetown, Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage, South-
western Cape
• Location of the above FOUR core industrial regions on a map
Contribution of secondary sector to the South African economy
➢ Types of industries (definition, description, examples and characteristics):
• Heavy and light
• Raw material orientated
• Market orientated
• Footloose industries
• Ubiquitous industries
• Bridge (Break of bulk)
➢ Factors favouring industrial development in South Africa:
• Raw materials
• Labour supply
• Water supply
• Energy supply
• Transport
• Political intervention
• Competition
• Trade
➢ Factors hindering industrial development in South Africa:
• Over-concentration
• Transport
• Air pollution
• Labour supply
• Water supply
• Energy supply
• Raw materials
• Political interference
• Competition
• Trade
2
, EXAMINATION YEAR PRESCRIBED CORE INDUSTRIAL REGION
November 2026 2026/27 Gauteng (PWV)/Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage
May/June 2027
NOTE: The TWO prescribed core industrial regions stipulated for each year should
be taught.
➢ Key facts to concentrate on with regards to the prescribed core industrial areas
• Map showing their location
• Factors influencing the location of the prescribed industrial region
• Main industrial activities in the prescribed industrial region
• Factors that favour and hinder the continued success of the prescribed core
industrial regions studied
• Economic and social impacts of the prescribed core industrial region
• Case studies to illustrate the above
➢ Strategies for Industrial Development
Overview of apartheid industrial development strategy:
• The Good Hope Plan
Overview of post-apartheid industrial development strategies:
• The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP)
• Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR)
• Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) and spatial development Initiatives
(SDIs):
• Case studies of two Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) and Spatial
Development initiatives (SDIs):
EXAMINATION YEAR IDZ SDI
November 2026 2026/27 Coega Wild coast
May/June 2027
NOTE: The ONE prescribed IDZ and SDI stipulated for each year should be taught
➢ Key facts to concentrate on with regard to the prescribed IDZ's and SDI's
• Definition and difference between an IDZ and SDIs
• Map showing the location of prescribed IDZs and SDIs
• Factors influencing the location of the prescribed IDZs and SDIs
• Main industrial activities
• Factors that favour and hinder the development of the prescribed IDZs and
SDIs
• Economic and social impacts
• Case studies to illustrate the above
Teachers will have to do some research on the prescribed SDIs as different
textbooks focus on different SDIs.
Industrial centralisation and decentralisation
➢ Definition, causes, advantages/disadvantages and solutions
➢ Contribution of tertiary activities to the South African economy:
• Definition of tertiary activities
• Examples of tertiary activities
3
