AboutBusiness Studies
The subject Business Studies deals with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values critical for informed, productive, ethical and responsible participation in the formal and informal economic sectors. The subject encompasses business principles, theory and practice that underpin the development of entrepreneurial initiatives, sustainable enterprises and economic growth.
The table below indicates the four main topics and corresponding topics in the Business Studies Curriculum.
| Weighting of Curriculum | Topic |
| Business environment (weighting 25%) | micro, market and macro environments |
| Business sectors | |
| Contemporary socioeconomic issues | |
| Business venture (weighting 25%) | Entrepreneurship |
| Business opportunity and related factors | |
| Business Plan | |
| management and Leadership | |
| Forms of ownership | |
| Setting up a business | |
| Contracts | |
| Business location | |
| investment: securities and insurance | |
| Presentation of business information | |
| Business role (weighting 25%) | Creative thinking and problem-solving |
| Self-management, professionalism and ethics | |
| human rights, inclusivity and environmental issues. | |
| Social Responsibility | |
| Stress, crisis, change and conflict management | |
| Relationship and team performance | |
| Business operation (weighting 25%) | Business functions |
| Quality of performance |
The purpose of Business studies
Business studies will ensure that learners:
- acquire and apply essential business knowledge, skills and principles to productively and profitably conduct business in changing business environments;
- create business opportunities, creatively solve problems and take risks, respecting the rights of others and environmental sustainability;
- apply basic leadership and management skills and principles while working with others to accomplish business goals;
- are motivated, self-directed, reflective lifelong learners who responsibly manage themselves and their activities while working towards business goals;
- are committed to developing themselves and others through business opportunities and ventures;
- are able to secure formal employment, and are in a position to pursue sustainable entrepreneurial and self- employment career pathways.
Time allocation for Business studies in the Curriculum
The teaching time for Business Studies is 4 hours per week, per grade (Grade 10, 11 and 12) on the timetable.
requirements to offer Business studies as a subject
Resources to offer Business Studies as a subject are the responsibility of the school.
- Each learner should have:
- a textbook
- stationery
- other relevant resources.
- The teacher should have:
- a variety of textbooks for reference
- a Partnership’s Articles of Association
- Legislation, e.g. Companies Act, 71 of 2008, Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998, National Credit Act No. 34 of 2005, Consumer Protection Act No. 68 of 2008, Basic Conditions of Employment Act No. 75 of 1997, Labour Relations Act No. 66 of 1995, Black Economic Empowerment Act No.53 of 2003, Skills Development Act No.97 of 1998, Compensation for Occupational injuries and Diseases Act No. 130 of 1993, hire Purchase Act, Long-term insurance Act No. 52 of 1998, Short-term insurance Act No. 53 of 1998, etc.
- memorandum of incorporation (mOi) – new founding document of a company
- Specimen of contract forms
- Bank brochures
- Business and financial magazines
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy – any company
- The King Code of Governance for South Africa 2009
Overview of topics per term
| Grade 10 | |
| Term | Topic |
| 1 | micro environment market environment macro environment interrelationship between environments Business sectors |
| 2 | Contemporary socioeconomic issues Social responsibility Entrepreneurship qualities Forms of ownership |
| 3 | Creative thinking and problem solving Business opportunity Business location Contracts Presentation of Business information Business Plan |
| 4 | Self-management Relationship and team performance |
| Grade 11 | |
| Term | Topic |
| 1 | Influences on and control factors influencing business environments Challenges in business environments Adapting to challenges in business environments impact and challenges of contemporary socioeconomic issues on business operations Business sectors Benefits of a company versus other forms of ownership Avenues of acquiring a business |
| 2 | Creative thinking and problem solving Stress, crisis and change management Transform a business plan into an action plan Starting a business venture based on an action plan Professionalism and ethics Presentation of Business information |
| 3 | Assessment of entrepreneurial qualities in business Citizenship roles and responsibilities marketing activities, marketing in the formal and informal sectors Use of technology for marketing imports and exports Foreign marketing The alignment of foreign marketing and the production function Production function |
| 4 | Team Stages, dynamics theories and conflict management introduction to the human Resources function |
| Grade 12 | |
| Term | Topic |
| 1 | impact of recent legislation on business – response to demands for redress and equity human Resources function Professionalism and ethics Creative thinking Devise strategies to enable a business to respond to the challenges of the macro business environment |
| 2 | Corporate social responsibility human Rights, inclusivity and environmental issues Team performance assessment and Conflict management Business sectors and their environments management and leadership Quality of performance within business functions |
| 3 | investment: Securities investment: insurance Forms of ownership and their impact on the business operation Presentation of information and data response Revision and preparation for mid-year examination |
| 4 | Revision and preparation for the final external examination |
