Course guides › Grade 7 › Economic and Management Sciences
Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) is new in Grade 7. It has three strands: the economy, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Learners learn how money and markets work, how to keep simple financial records, and how to plan and run a small business.
This guide explains the three CAPS strands with examples.
Grade 7 Economic and Management Sciences (CAPS). This guide explains what the CAPS curriculum covers this year, so you can use it now. Courses are R100 per subject per year.
What’s covered: the three CAPS strands
The DBE’s Annual Teaching Plan sets the detailed topics and their order term by term, and your child’s school follows it. This guide gives the broad picture of each part of the subject.
The economy
How people, businesses and government make, buy and sell goods and services.
Financial literacy
Managing money and keeping financial records, building up to the basics of accounting.
Entrepreneurship
What entrepreneurs do, and how a business idea is planned and run.
Key ideas, with worked examples
Needs and wants
Needs are things we must have to survive (food, shelter, water, clothing); wants are things we would like.
Worked example. School shoes are a need; branded sneakers are a want.
A simple budget
A budget lists expected income and expenses so you can plan before you spend.
Worked example. Pocket money R200 − airtime R50 − taxi R80 − savings R40 = R30 left for treats.
Profit
Profit = income from sales − costs.
Worked example. Selling 40 muffins at R8 brings in R320. If ingredients cost R180, the profit is R140.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
- Calling every want a need.
- Forgetting hidden costs (packaging, transport) when working out profit.
- Mixing up income and profit.
- Spending before budgeting.
Tips for parents
- Agree a routine, then step back. Senior Phase learners like to work on their own; check in on the week’s work rather than every page.
- Involve your child in the grocery budget for a week.
- Open a savings jar or account and track it monthly.
- Support a small business idea, like selling snacks at a school market day.
Frequently asked questions
Is EMS the same as Accounting?
No. EMS introduces some accounting ideas, but also covers the economy and entrepreneurship. It prepares learners for Accounting, Business Studies and Economics in Grade 10.
How much does the Grade 7 Economic and Management Sciences course cost?
R100 per subject per year, as listed on our site. Each course is one course for the whole year with Terms 1 to 4 inside it, so there’s nothing extra to pay per term.
Where can I find the course?
All our Grade 7 courses are listed on our home page under Grade 7.
Will it work on a phone, and will it use a lot of data?
Yes. Our courses open in a phone’s web browser or in the free Coursebox app for Android and iPhone. Lessons are pictures and short text with quizzes and no videos, so they use little data.
Is the course in English or Afrikaans?
Our Grade 7 courses are in English.
Get ready for Grade 7 Economic and Management Sciences
Courses are R100 per subject per year. Bookmark this guide and use the overview above to follow what your child is doing at school. See all Grade 7 courses on our home page.
Back to the Grade 7 course cards · All Grade 7 guides
Sources and review
This guide follows the broad structure of the DBE’s CAPS Economic and Management Sciences curriculum for the Senior Phase (Grades 7–9). Detailed topics and their order are set by the DBE’s Annual Teaching Plan, which your child’s school follows. Last reviewed: 31 October 2026. AI Buddies is an independent project and is not endorsed by the Department of Basic Education.