The Grade 12 Geography curriculum is a comprehensive study of the physical world and human environments. For the Class of 2026, success in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) requires mastering complex systems ranging from mid-latitude cyclones to urban hierarchies and economic strategies.
This guide outlines the 2026 Geography Annual Teaching Plan (ATP), providing a structured weekly schedule to help learners and teachers navigate the syllabus from climatology to economic geography.
Geography Grade 12 ATP 2026
The curriculum is divided into four main topics split across two examination papers. Mapwork is integrated throughout all topics and forms a critical component of every assessment.
Term 1: Climate, Weather & Geomorphology
Focus: The first term covers physical geography, focusing on global and local weather systems and the dynamics of river systems.
- Weeks 1–2: Mid-latitude Cyclones
- General characteristics, areas of formation, and stages of development.
- Weather Patterns: Cold fronts, warm fronts, and occluded fronts.
- Interpretation of synoptic weather maps and satellite images.
- Week 3: Tropical Cyclones
- Conditions necessary for formation, stages of development, and impact.
- Case Study: Analysis of a recent tropical cyclone affecting Southern Africa.
- Week 4: Subtropical Anticyclones
- Location and characteristics of the South Atlantic, South Indian, and Kalahari high-pressure cells.
- Travelling disturbances: Coastal Lows and Berg Winds.
- Weeks 5–6: Valley & Urban Climates
- Valley: Anabatic and Katabatic winds, inversions, frost pockets, and radiation fog.
- Urban: Urban heat islands and pollution domes.
- Week 7: Drainage Systems in SA
- Concepts: Watershed, tributary, confluence, and catchment area.
- Drainage Patterns: Dendritic, trellis, rectangular, radial, centripetal, deranged, and parallel.
- Week 8: Fluvial Processes
- River Profiles: Longitudinal, transverse, and the relationship to river stages (upper, middle, lower).
- Types of flow: Laminar vs. Turbulent.
- Weeks 9–11: Fluvial Landforms & Management
- Features: Meanders, oxbow lakes, braided streams, levees, and deltas.
- River Capture: Captor stream, captured stream, misfit stream, and wind gap.
* **Management:** Catchment management strategies[cite: 564, 568].
Term 1 Assessments
- Task 1: Mapwork Task (60 Marks).
- Task 2: Controlled Test (60 Marks).
Term 2: Settlement Geography (Rural & Urban)
Focus: The second term shifts to human geography, analyzing how people settle, organize, and utilize land in rural and urban contexts.
- Weeks 1–2: Rural Settlements
- Site and Situation: Factors influencing location.
- Classification: Pattern (nucleated, dispersed) and Shape (round, linear, T-shaped, crossroad).
- Land Use: Farming, forestry, and conservation.
- Week 3: Rural Settlement Issues
- Migration: Push and pull factors causing rural-urban migration.
- Social Justice: Land reform (redistribution, restitution) and access to resources.
- Weeks 4–5: Urban Settlements
- Urbanisation: Growth, expansion, and sprawl.
- Classification: Central places, trade/transport towns, and specialized cities.
- Weeks 6–7: Urban Structure & Patterns
- Hierarchies: Sphere of influence, range of goods, and threshold population.
- Land Use Zones: CBD, transition zone, residential, and industrial.
- Models: Multiple-nuclei model, Modern American-western city, and the South African city model.
- Weeks 8–9: Urban Settlement Issues
- Challenges: Congestion, overcrowding, and service provision.
- Informal Settlements: Growth, issues, and strategies for improvement.
- Injustice: Unequal access to services and environmental concerns.
Term 2 Assessments
- Task 3: Research Task (100 Marks).
- Task 4: Controlled Test (60 Marks) OR Mid-Year Exam (150 Marks).
Term 3: Economic Geography of South Africa
Focus: The third term explores the structure of the South African economy, key sectors, and development strategies.
- Week 1: Structure of the Economy
- Contribution of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary sectors to GDP.
- Week 2: Agriculture
- Factors favouring and hindering agriculture.
- Case Study: Maize production and its importance to food security.
- Week 3: Mining
- Significance of mining to development.
- Case Study: Platinum mining in South Africa.
- Week 4: Secondary Sector
- Heavy vs. Light industry.
- Factors influencing industrial development (Raw materials, energy, transport).
- Week 5: Industrial Regions
- Prescribed Regions: Gauteng (PWV) and Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage.
- Analysis of factors favouring these specific regions.
- Week 6: Strategies for Industrial Development
- Post-Apartheid Strategies: RDP, GEAR.
- Zones: Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) and Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs).
- Case Studies: Coega IDZ and Wild Coast SDI.
- Week 7: Tertiary & Informal Sectors
- Tertiary: Role of trade and transport.
- Informal Sector: Characteristics, challenges, and strategies for strengthening.
Term 3 Assessments
- Task 5: Controlled Test.
- Task 6: Preparatory Examination (Papers 1 & 2).
Term 4: Final Assessment
Focus: The final term is dedicated to revision and the external NSC examinations.
- Weeks 1–2: Revision and consolidation of content.
- Final Assessment:NSC Final Examinations.
- Paper 1 (150 Marks): Climate, Weather, and Geomorphology.
- Paper 2 (150 Marks): Rural/Urban Settlements and Economic Geography.
- Note: Both papers include a Question 3 on Mapwork (30 Marks).
FAQ: Geography Grade 12
Q: What maps do I need to know for the exam? A: You must be proficient in reading Synoptic Weather Maps (for cyclones and anticyclones) and Topographic/Orthophoto Maps (integrated into every topic). You need to identify features like landforms, settlement patterns, and industrial zones on these maps.
Q: Which industrial regions are prescribed for study? A: You must study Gauteng (PWV) and Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage in detail. You need to know the factors influencing their location and their main industrial activities.
Q: What is the difference between Paper 1 and Paper 2? A:
- Paper 1 focuses on Physical Geography: Climate and Weather (60 marks) and Geomorphology (60 marks) + Mapwork (30 marks).
- Paper 2 focuses on Human Geography: Settlement Geography (60 marks) and Economic Geography of SA (60 marks) + Mapwork (30 marks).