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About the course
Explore how economic change affects livelihoods, employment and inequality. You will use economic theory and evidence to compare development choices relevant to South Africa, Zimbabwe and neighbouring economies.
What you'll learn
- Explain competing accounts of economic growth and development.
- Interpret development indicators with attention to their limitations.
- Analyse how policy affects households, firms and public resources.
- Use quantitative evidence to test an economic argument.
- Write a development-policy recommendation with explicit trade-offs.
Requirements
- Entry requires A Level Economic and Management Sciences subjects or an equivalent, or a relevant National Certificate. English Language is required. A relevant National Diploma may support second-year entry where BMIT approves module equivalence and professional rules permit. Advanced entry is not automatic.
- African Kalanga is a compulsory graduation subject in every year of this programme. BMIT confirms the approved entry route, any recognition of prior learning and access to required practical facilities before enrolment.
Course content
Sections: 4
•Activities: 1
•Resources: 39
Subjects in this programme
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
33 subjects are listed below, with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundations
- Business Communication. Prepare purposeful communication for colleagues, customers and decision makers. You will organise evidence, adjust tone for different audiences and check whether a message leads to the intended action. Examples include multilingual workplaces, professional correspondence and short management reports.
- Digital Business Skills. Use everyday digital tools to organise business information accurately. You will build reliable spreadsheets, manage documents and share work responsibly. Activities address uneven connectivity, accessible communication and the protection of personal information in small organisations and public offices.
- Business Quantitative Methods. Translate business questions into numerical models. You will work with percentages, equations, graphs and probability, then explain what the calculations mean for a decision. Particular attention goes to units, assumptions and the interpretation of results from spreadsheets.
- Microeconomics. Study how households and firms make choices under scarcity. You will examine prices, incentives and market structures, then use diagrams and calculations to explain changes in behaviour. Examples include food markets, informal enterprises and access to essential services.
- Macroeconomics. Examine output, employment, inflation and external trade at economy level. You will connect household and business conditions to fiscal, monetary and exchange-rate decisions. Work with published indicators while distinguishing nominal values, real changes and differences between national contexts.
- Financial Accounting Foundations. Follow business transactions from source documents to a trial balance. You will use double-entry reasoning, reconcile control accounts and explain common errors. The module develops a clear audit trail before introducing the financial statements used by owners and other users.
- Management and the Business Environment. Explore how organisations pursue objectives within social, legal and economic conditions. You will compare ownership forms, identify the contribution of major business functions and examine the responsibilities of managers. Local cases include small enterprises, cooperatives and established companies.
- Planning and Organising Business Activities. Turn organisational objectives into coordinated work. You will develop plans, allocate responsibilities and examine how structures influence decisions. Cases introduce resource constraints, delegation and performance information, with attention to the practical relationship between a plan and everyday operations.
- Commercial Law Foundations. Recognise legal issues in ordinary business transactions. You will distinguish sources of law, examine how agreements arise and consider the rights and duties of contracting parties. Cases are labelled by jurisdiction so legal principles are not assumed to apply identically across borders.
- Business Ethics and Sustainability. Examine the responsibilities of organisations towards workers, customers, communities and the environment. You will identify conflicts between objectives and assess proposed responses using evidence. Cases address resource use, responsible sourcing, inclusion and honest reporting of social and environmental performance.
Stage 2: Core subjects
- Intermediate Microeconomics. Develop analytical models of consumer, producer and market behaviour. You will examine optimisation, strategic interaction and market failure, then use the models to evaluate economic choices. The module requires explicit assumptions and explains when a simplified model leaves important institutional factors outside the analysis.
- Intermediate Macroeconomics. Compare models explaining output, inflation and employment over time. You will examine short-run adjustment and longer-run growth while considering expectations and the open economy. Activities require you to state model assumptions and explain why different approaches produce different policy recommendations.
- Business Statistics. Summarise data and judge the strength of numerical evidence. You will distinguish a population from a sample, choose appropriate summaries and interpret uncertainty. Business examples cover demand, customer service, workforce information and variation in operating performance.
- Econometrics. Estimate and interpret relationships in economic data. You will develop regression models, check assumptions and assess threats to a credible conclusion. The module connects statistical output with economic reasoning, reproducible analysis and clear communication of uncertainty, rather than treating a fitted relationship as proof.
- Development Economics. Compare explanations of poverty, growth and structural change. You will examine how institutions, markets and public decisions affect livelihoods, then analyse development interventions using evidence. Southern African cases connect household experience with employment, productive capacity and unequal access to resources and services.
- Public Finance and Fiscal Policy. Study how governments raise and spend resources. You will examine taxation, public expenditure and borrowing, then assess the distributional and economic effects of fiscal choices. Cases connect policy objectives with budget constraints, service outcomes and the need for transparent public accountability.
- International Trade Economics. Explain why economies trade and how trade policy affects producers and consumers. You will compare trade theories, analyse barriers and examine regional integration. Cases address commodity dependence, industrial development and the practical differences between an agreement's stated aims and observed trade outcomes.
- Monetary Economics. Examine money, banking and the transmission of monetary policy. You will connect financial institutions and central-bank choices with inflation, output and financial stability. Cases compare monetary arrangements and require a clear distinction between theoretical mechanisms and the evidence available for a particular economy.
- Agricultural and Rural Economics. Analyse production, markets and livelihoods in rural economies. You will examine land, labour and finance constraints alongside seasonal risk and food systems. Cases compare farm and household decisions with policy interventions affecting market access, productivity and the distribution of benefits.
- Financial Management. Use financial information to support investment and financing decisions. You will evaluate cash flows, estimate funding needs and compare sources of finance. Decisions are examined alongside uncertainty, timing and organisational objectives, with clear separation between calculated results and management judgement.
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
- Development Finance and Project Appraisal. Assess the financing of development initiatives where financial returns and public objectives interact. You will examine funding institutions, project cash flows and economic costs and benefits. Cases require transparent assumptions about distribution, uncertainty and the difference between financial viability and social value.
- Applied Economics Research Project. Investigate an economic question using an explicit theoretical argument and suitable evidence. You will develop a research design, analyse data and assess alternative explanations. The completed study connects findings to policy or economic understanding while making limitations, uncertainty and reproducibility clear.
- International Finance and Exchange Rates. Examine financial transactions between economies and the forces affecting exchange rates. You will connect the balance of payments, capital flows and policy choices with business and public-sector exposure. Activities distinguish market relationships from policy assumptions and consider vulnerability to external shocks.
- Economic History and Thought. Trace competing explanations of economic change and the institutions shaping Southern African economies. You will read arguments in their historical setting, compare evidence and identify assumptions. The module supports critical evaluation of contemporary policy claims without treating one historical account as a complete explanation.
- Public Policy Analysis. Analyse policy problems through evidence and alternatives. You will examine problem framing, policy actors, options. Prepare a policy brief comparing practical alternatives.
- Poverty, Inequality and Livelihoods. Analyse disadvantage through household and institutional evidence. You will examine poverty measures, inequality, livelihood strategies. Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
- Regional Integration and SADC Governance. Evaluate regional cooperation through institutional evidence. You will examine regionalism, sadc institutions, trade integration. Prepare a regional cooperation brief.
- Research Methods and Evidence Analysis. Plan an enquiry suited to a specific social or organisational question. You will compare qualitative and quantitative approaches, prepare ethical data collection and assess evidence quality. The module connects research questions to sampling, analysis and clear reporting of uncertainty and limitations.
- Workplace Learning and Professional Portfolio. Connect taught subjects with supervised or carefully designed simulated professional work. You will agree learning objectives, record tasks and evaluate your decisions against evidence. The portfolio makes your individual contribution visible and identifies areas requiring further practice or specialist supervision.
- Integrated Business Research Project. Investigate a defined business problem by combining knowledge from several management subjects. You will frame a useful question, gather appropriate evidence and compare feasible responses. The final report explains the recommendation, implementation implications and limitations of the enquiry rather than claiming certainty.
African History and Pan Africanism
- African History and Pan Africanism 101 (Level 1, compulsory core module): Study African history through oral, written and archaeological evidence. Examine the diversity of African societies, knowledge and exchange, then trace the emergence of Pan African ideas about identity, solidarity and self-determination.
- African History and Pan Africanism 201 (Level 2, compulsory core module): Examine colonial change, resistance and liberation across Africa, with attention to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Compare Pan African movements, organisations and debates, including contributions from women, workers and diaspora communities.
- African History and Pan Africanism 301 (Level 3, compulsory core module): Evaluate the legacy of Pan Africanism in continental and regional cooperation, culture and public life. Apply historical inquiry to a heritage, community or professional issue, recognising both achievements and contested interpretations.
Assessment and practical learning
- Economic problems and data interpretation exercises.
- Comparative development-policy briefs.
- An empirical research report with reproducible analysis.
Practical application
Investigate a proposed local development question using suitable public data or approved fieldwork. Explain the unit of analysis, measurement choices, competing explanations and limits to causal inference.
African History and Pan Africanism practical learning
- African History and Pan Africanism 101: Create an annotated timeline or digital learning poster on a selected African society or historical development. Compare at least two credible sources and explain one connection with your field of study.
- African History and Pan Africanism 201: Develop a comparative case study of a liberation issue or Pan African debate relevant to Southern Africa. Use a historical document alongside a scholarly account and explain differences in purpose and interpretation.
- African History and Pan Africanism 301: Prepare a sourced heritage or civic-learning project connected with your field or a Southern African community. Explain its historical basis, audience, permission needs and limits. Obtain consent if you conduct interviews.
Subject descriptions
Each subject below includes its purpose, learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment approach.
Business Communication
Stage 1: Foundations
Prepare purposeful communication for colleagues, customers and decision makers. You will organise evidence, adjust tone for different audiences and check whether a message leads to the intended action. Examples include multilingual workplaces, professional correspondence and short management reports.
Learning outcomes
- Write a concise business report
- Record decisions and assigned actions
- Present evidence for a defined audience
Main topics
- Audience and purpose
- Professional correspondence
- Report structure
- Meeting records
- Presentations
- Intercultural communication
Practical task
Produce a report, meeting record and five-minute briefing about a service problem.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Digital Business Skills
Stage 1: Foundations
Use everyday digital tools to organise business information accurately. You will build reliable spreadsheets, manage documents and share work responsibly. Activities address uneven connectivity, accessible communication and the protection of personal information in small organisations and public offices.
Learning outcomes
- Build a checked spreadsheet
- Organise retrievable business documents
- Apply appropriate access permissions
Main topics
- File organisation
- Word processing
- Spreadsheet formulas
- Presentations
- Collaborative working
- Privacy and access
Practical task
Create a shared office information pack with formulas, document versions and access instructions.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Business Quantitative Methods
Stage 1: Foundations
Translate business questions into numerical models. You will work with percentages, equations, graphs and probability, then explain what the calculations mean for a decision. Particular attention goes to units, assumptions and the interpretation of results from spreadsheets.
Learning outcomes
- Solve a business equation
- Calculate interest and percentage changes
- Interpret a numerical model's assumptions
Main topics
- Percentages and ratios
- Algebra and functions
- Financial mathematics
- Linear models
- Probability
- Decision calculations
Practical task
Compare three purchasing or financing options in a spreadsheet with checked calculations.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Microeconomics
Stage 1: Foundations
Study how households and firms make choices under scarcity. You will examine prices, incentives and market structures, then use diagrams and calculations to explain changes in behaviour. Examples include food markets, informal enterprises and access to essential services.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse a market change
- Calculate and interpret elasticity
- Compare competitive and concentrated markets
Main topics
- Scarcity and choice
- Demand and supply
- Elasticity
- Consumer choice
- Production and costs
- Market structures
Practical task
Explain a local price change using data, diagrams and alternative explanations.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Macroeconomics
Stage 1: Foundations
Examine output, employment, inflation and external trade at economy level. You will connect household and business conditions to fiscal, monetary and exchange-rate decisions. Work with published indicators while distinguishing nominal values, real changes and differences between national contexts.
Learning outcomes
- Interpret a macroeconomic indicator
- Explain a policy transmission process
- Distinguish nominal and real changes
Main topics
- National accounts
- Growth and employment
- Inflation
- Fiscal policy
- Money and banking
- External balance
Practical task
Prepare an economic conditions briefing comparing two Southern African economies.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Financial Accounting Foundations
Stage 1: Foundations
Follow business transactions from source documents to a trial balance. You will use double-entry reasoning, reconcile control accounts and explain common errors. The module develops a clear audit trail before introducing the financial statements used by owners and other users.
Learning outcomes
- Record transactions accurately
- Prepare a trial balance
- Reconcile a bank account
Main topics
- Accounting equation
- Source documents
- Double entry
- Ledgers
- Trial balance
- Bank reconciliation
Practical task
Process one month's transactions for a fictional enterprise and document corrections.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Management and the Business Environment
Stage 1: Foundations
Explore how organisations pursue objectives within social, legal and economic conditions. You will compare ownership forms, identify the contribution of major business functions and examine the responsibilities of managers. Local cases include small enterprises, cooperatives and established companies.
Learning outcomes
- Compare organisational forms
- Map business functions
- Explain a management responsibility
Main topics
- Ownership forms
- Business environment
- Objectives
- Functional relationships
- Stakeholders
- Management responsibilities
Practical task
Map the operating environment and functional responsibilities of a selected organisation.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Planning and Organising Business Activities
Stage 1: Foundations
Turn organisational objectives into coordinated work. You will develop plans, allocate responsibilities and examine how structures influence decisions. Cases introduce resource constraints, delegation and performance information, with attention to the practical relationship between a plan and everyday operations.
Learning outcomes
- Develop an operational plan
- Allocate roles and resources
- Select suitable performance measures
Main topics
- Planning levels
- Decision making
- Organisational structures
- Delegation
- Coordination
- Performance controls
Practical task
Prepare a quarterly operating plan with responsibilities, resources and review points.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Commercial Law Foundations
Stage 1: Foundations
Recognise legal issues in ordinary business transactions. You will distinguish sources of law, examine how agreements arise and consider the rights and duties of contracting parties. Cases are labelled by jurisdiction so legal principles are not assumed to apply identically across borders.
Learning outcomes
- Identify a contractual issue
- Apply a legal rule to stated facts
- Explain available contractual remedies
Main topics
- Sources of law
- Contract formation
- Capacity and consent
- Breach and remedies
- Agency
- Consumer transactions
Practical task
Write a reasoned memorandum on a fictional supplier dispute using supplied legal materials.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Business Ethics and Sustainability
Stage 1: Foundations
Examine the responsibilities of organisations towards workers, customers, communities and the environment. You will identify conflicts between objectives and assess proposed responses using evidence. Cases address resource use, responsible sourcing, inclusion and honest reporting of social and environmental performance.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse an ethical conflict
- Assess a sustainability claim
- Recommend measurable improvements
Main topics
- Ethical reasoning
- Stakeholder responsibilities
- Resource use
- Social inclusion
- Responsible sourcing
- Sustainability reporting
Practical task
Review a business practice and produce an evidence-based responsibility improvement plan.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Intermediate Microeconomics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Develop analytical models of consumer, producer and market behaviour. You will examine optimisation, strategic interaction and market failure, then use the models to evaluate economic choices. The module requires explicit assumptions and explains when a simplified model leaves important institutional factors outside the analysis.
Learning outcomes
- Solve an optimisation problem
- Analyse strategic interaction
- Evaluate a market intervention
Main topics
- Consumer optimisation
- Production theory
- Cost functions
- Market power
- Game theory
- Market failure
Practical task
Analyse a regulated or concentrated market using diagrams and numerical examples.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Intermediate Macroeconomics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Compare models explaining output, inflation and employment over time. You will examine short-run adjustment and longer-run growth while considering expectations and the open economy. Activities require you to state model assumptions and explain why different approaches produce different policy recommendations.
Learning outcomes
- Compare macroeconomic models
- Analyse a policy shock
- Explain a growth mechanism
Main topics
- Income determination
- Aggregate demand and supply
- Expectations
- Business cycles
- Growth models
- Open-economy adjustment
Practical task
Evaluate a fiscal or external shock under two macroeconomic models.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Business Statistics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Summarise data and judge the strength of numerical evidence. You will distinguish a population from a sample, choose appropriate summaries and interpret uncertainty. Business examples cover demand, customer service, workforce information and variation in operating performance.
Learning outcomes
- Select an appropriate data summary
- Interpret a confidence interval
- Explain limits of a correlation
Main topics
- Sampling
- Descriptive statistics
- Probability distributions
- Confidence intervals
- Hypothesis testing
- Correlation and regression
Practical task
Analyse an anonymised service dataset and write a short evidence report.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Econometrics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Estimate and interpret relationships in economic data. You will develop regression models, check assumptions and assess threats to a credible conclusion. The module connects statistical output with economic reasoning, reproducible analysis and clear communication of uncertainty, rather than treating a fitted relationship as proof.
Learning outcomes
- Estimate an economic relationship
- Diagnose a model problem
- Explain limits of an estimate
Main topics
- Regression estimation
- Inference
- Model specification
- Heteroskedasticity
- Time-series foundations
- Causal limitations
Practical task
Submit a reproducible empirical analysis with diagnostics and an interpretation report.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Development Economics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Compare explanations of poverty, growth and structural change. You will examine how institutions, markets and public decisions affect livelihoods, then analyse development interventions using evidence. Southern African cases connect household experience with employment, productive capacity and unequal access to resources and services.
Learning outcomes
- Compare development explanations
- Interpret an inequality measure
- Evaluate a development intervention
Main topics
- Development theories
- Poverty and inequality
- Institutions
- Structural change
- Human development
- Policy interventions
Practical task
Prepare a development policy appraisal using a clearly defined community or sector case.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Public Finance and Fiscal Policy
Stage 2: Core subjects
Study how governments raise and spend resources. You will examine taxation, public expenditure and borrowing, then assess the distributional and economic effects of fiscal choices. Cases connect policy objectives with budget constraints, service outcomes and the need for transparent public accountability.
Learning outcomes
- Explain a fiscal policy choice
- Assess distributional effects
- Interpret a public budget
Main topics
- Public goods
- Tax design
- Expenditure choices
- Fiscal incidence
- Public debt
- Budget policy
Practical task
Produce a budget policy note comparing two expenditure or revenue options.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
International Trade Economics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Explain why economies trade and how trade policy affects producers and consumers. You will compare trade theories, analyse barriers and examine regional integration. Cases address commodity dependence, industrial development and the practical differences between an agreement's stated aims and observed trade outcomes.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse a trade barrier
- Compare trade policy arguments
- Evaluate an integration outcome
Main topics
- Trade theories
- Comparative advantage
- Tariffs and quotas
- Trade policy
- Regional integration
- Trade and development
Practical task
Prepare a trade policy analysis for a selected Southern African sector.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Monetary Economics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Examine money, banking and the transmission of monetary policy. You will connect financial institutions and central-bank choices with inflation, output and financial stability. Cases compare monetary arrangements and require a clear distinction between theoretical mechanisms and the evidence available for a particular economy.
Learning outcomes
- Explain a monetary transmission channel
- Analyse a policy change
- Evaluate a stability concern
Main topics
- Money demand
- Money supply
- Banking systems
- Policy instruments
- Transmission mechanisms
- Financial stability
Practical task
Write a monetary policy briefing using a supplied indicator dataset.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Agricultural and Rural Economics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Analyse production, markets and livelihoods in rural economies. You will examine land, labour and finance constraints alongside seasonal risk and food systems. Cases compare farm and household decisions with policy interventions affecting market access, productivity and the distribution of benefits.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse a farm economic decision
- Explain a rural market constraint
- Evaluate an agricultural policy option
Main topics
- Farm decisions
- Land and labour
- Agricultural markets
- Seasonal risk
- Rural finance
- Food policy
Practical task
Prepare an economic appraisal of a farm or rural value-chain improvement.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Financial Management
Stage 2: Core subjects
Use financial information to support investment and financing decisions. You will evaluate cash flows, estimate funding needs and compare sources of finance. Decisions are examined alongside uncertainty, timing and organisational objectives, with clear separation between calculated results and management judgement.
Learning outcomes
- Appraise an investment
- Estimate financing requirements
- Interpret financial performance ratios
Main topics
- Time value of money
- Cash-flow estimation
- Investment appraisal
- Cost of capital
- Financing choices
- Financial ratios
Practical task
Prepare a funding and investment recommendation with sensitivity calculations.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Development Finance and Project Appraisal
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Assess the financing of development initiatives where financial returns and public objectives interact. You will examine funding institutions, project cash flows and economic costs and benefits. Cases require transparent assumptions about distribution, uncertainty and the difference between financial viability and social value.
Learning outcomes
- Compare development funding options
- Appraise a development project
- Explain financial and social trade-offs
Main topics
- Development institutions
- Financing instruments
- Financial appraisal
- Economic appraisal
- Distributional effects
- Sensitivity analysis
Practical task
Prepare a financing and appraisal report for a proposed community or infrastructure project.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Applied Economics Research Project
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Investigate an economic question using an explicit theoretical argument and suitable evidence. You will develop a research design, analyse data and assess alternative explanations. The completed study connects findings to policy or economic understanding while making limitations, uncertainty and reproducibility clear.
Learning outcomes
- Develop a testable economic question
- Analyse economic evidence
- Defend a qualified conclusion
Main topics
- Question and theory
- Literature synthesis
- Data preparation
- Empirical analysis
- Policy interpretation
- Research reporting
Practical task
Complete an empirical economics dissertation-style report and oral presentation.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
International Finance and Exchange Rates
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Examine financial transactions between economies and the forces affecting exchange rates. You will connect the balance of payments, capital flows and policy choices with business and public-sector exposure. Activities distinguish market relationships from policy assumptions and consider vulnerability to external shocks.
Learning outcomes
- Interpret external accounts
- Analyse exchange-rate exposure
- Evaluate an external adjustment option
Main topics
- Balance of payments
- Exchange-rate regimes
- Parity conditions
- Capital flows
- External debt
- Financial crises
Practical task
Write an external-sector risk briefing with a currency scenario analysis.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Economic History and Thought
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Trace competing explanations of economic change and the institutions shaping Southern African economies. You will read arguments in their historical setting, compare evidence and identify assumptions. The module supports critical evaluation of contemporary policy claims without treating one historical account as a complete explanation.
Learning outcomes
- Compare economic schools
- Explain a historical economic change
- Assess evidence supporting a policy narrative
Main topics
- Economic schools
- Colonial economies
- Industrialisation
- Labour systems
- Post-independence policy
- Contemporary debates
Practical task
Write a comparative essay connecting an economic idea with a regional historical case.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Public Policy Analysis
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Analyse policy problems through evidence and alternatives. You will examine problem framing, policy actors, options. Prepare a policy brief comparing practical alternatives.
Learning outcomes
- Explain problem framing in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between policy actors and options.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing policy instruments, implementation and evaluation.
Main topics
- Problem framing
- Policy actors
- Options
- Policy instruments
- Implementation
- Evaluation
Practical task
Prepare a policy brief comparing practical alternatives.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Poverty, Inequality and Livelihoods
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Analyse disadvantage through household and institutional evidence. You will examine poverty measures, inequality, livelihood strategies. Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
Learning outcomes
- Explain poverty measures in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between inequality and livelihood strategies.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing vulnerability, social exclusion and policy responses.
Main topics
- Poverty measures
- Inequality
- Livelihood strategies
- Vulnerability
- Social exclusion
- Policy responses
Practical task
Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Regional Integration and SADC Governance
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Evaluate regional cooperation through institutional evidence. You will examine regionalism, sadc institutions, trade integration. Prepare a regional cooperation brief.
Learning outcomes
- Explain regionalism in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between sadc institutions and trade integration.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing mobility, shared resources and implementation.
Main topics
- Regionalism
- SADC institutions
- Trade integration
- Mobility
- Shared resources
- Implementation
Practical task
Prepare a regional cooperation brief.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Research Methods and Evidence Analysis
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Plan an enquiry suited to a specific social or organisational question. You will compare qualitative and quantitative approaches, prepare ethical data collection and assess evidence quality. The module connects research questions to sampling, analysis and clear reporting of uncertainty and limitations.
Learning outcomes
- Formulate a research question
- Select a defensible research design
- Prepare an ethical data collection plan
Main topics
- Research questions
- Literature review
- Design choices
- Sampling
- Ethics
- Data analysis
Practical task
Submit a research proposal, instruments and a worked analysis of a pilot dataset.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Workplace Learning and Professional Portfolio
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Connect taught subjects with supervised or carefully designed simulated professional work. You will agree learning objectives, record tasks and evaluate your decisions against evidence. The portfolio makes your individual contribution visible and identifies areas requiring further practice or specialist supervision.
Learning outcomes
- Set assessable workplace objectives
- Document your contribution
- Evaluate professional learning needs
Main topics
- Learning agreement
- Professional conduct
- Work evidence
- Supervisor feedback
- Reflective analysis
- Improvement planning
Practical task
Compile a verified or simulated workplace portfolio with supervisor or facilitator feedback.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Integrated Business Research Project
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Investigate a defined business problem by combining knowledge from several management subjects. You will frame a useful question, gather appropriate evidence and compare feasible responses. The final report explains the recommendation, implementation implications and limitations of the enquiry rather than claiming certainty.
Learning outcomes
- Frame a researchable business problem
- Analyse relevant evidence
- Defend a feasible recommendation
Main topics
- Problem definition
- Research ethics
- Evidence collection
- Analysis
- Recommendations
- Implementation evaluation
Practical task
Complete an individual business investigation and present the resulting improvement proposal.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
African History and Pan Africanism 101
Compulsory core module · Level 1
Study African history through oral, written and archaeological evidence. Examine the diversity of African societies, knowledge and exchange, then trace the emergence of Pan African ideas about identity, solidarity and self-determination.
Learning outcomes
- Place selected African societies and events within a supported historical timeline.
- Compare historical sources and identify perspective, evidence and uncertainty.
- Explain the foundations of Pan Africanism and the contributions of Africans and the diaspora.
Main topics
- Historical inquiry, chronology, oral traditions and source evaluation
- African civilisations, states, trade, livelihoods and knowledge systems
- Southern African history, including Mapungubgwe and Great Zimbabwe
- Slavery, the African diaspora and changing ideas about identity
- Origins of Pan Africanism, solidarity, self-determination and cultural expression
Practical task
Create an annotated timeline or digital learning poster on a selected African society or historical development. Compare at least two credible sources and explain one connection with your field of study.
Assessment
Submit the timeline or poster, an annotated source list and a short explanation of the evidence. Assessment considers chronology, historical accuracy, source judgement and the clarity of your interpretation.
Learning resources
African History and Pan Africanism 201
Compulsory core module · Level 2
Examine colonial change, resistance and liberation across Africa, with attention to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Compare Pan African movements, organisations and debates, including contributions from women, workers and diaspora communities.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse the effects of colonial rule on land, labour, institutions and social relations.
- Compare liberation movements and Pan African arguments using contextual evidence.
- Explain how different groups shaped independence, solidarity and debates about freedom.
Main topics
- Colonial rule, land, labour, education and forms of resistance
- Nationalism, liberation and the end of colonial rule and apartheid
- Pan African congresses, organisations and contrasting interpretations
- Women, labour movements and diaspora participation
- The Organisation of African Unity and debates about unity, sovereignty and development
Practical task
Develop a comparative case study of a liberation issue or Pan African debate relevant to Southern Africa. Use a historical document alongside a scholarly account and explain differences in purpose and interpretation.
Assessment
Submit the case study, a source comparison and a reflection on your conclusions. Assessment considers context, evidence, recognition of different perspectives and the quality of your argument.
Learning resources
African History and Pan Africanism 301
Compulsory core module · Level 3
Evaluate the legacy of Pan Africanism in continental and regional cooperation, culture and public life. Apply historical inquiry to a heritage, community or professional issue, recognising both achievements and contested interpretations.
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate continuity and change from the Organisation of African Unity to the African Union.
- Assess a contemporary Pan African issue using historical evidence and contrasting views.
- Develop an ethical, well-sourced project connecting African history with your field or community.
Main topics
- The African Union, regional cooperation and Southern African integration
- Agenda 2063, development and debates about continental priorities
- Citizenship, migration, diaspora connections and cultural exchange
- African knowledge, heritage, public history and contested narratives
- Research ethics, source attribution and evaluation of a community or professional project
Practical task
Prepare a sourced heritage or civic-learning project connected with your field or a Southern African community. Explain its historical basis, audience, permission needs and limits. Obtain consent if you conduct interviews.
Assessment
Submit a project brief, an annotated source portfolio, a public-facing learning resource and an evaluation of your interpretation. Assessment considers evidence, ethical practice, historical reasoning and usefulness to the intended audience.
Learning resources
Instructors
Enrolment options
Bachelor of Commerce in Political Economy
Course modified date: 13 October 2026
Explore how economic change affects livelihoods, employment and inequality. You will use economic theory and evidence to compare development choices relevant to South Africa, Zimbabwe and neighbouring economies.
- Teacher: ImfundoSpace Administrator
- Enrolled students: There are no students enrolled in this course.
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