Careers › Business & finance

How to become a Economist

Studies how money, markets and policy shape a country.

What does a Economist actually do?

More about this career

Studies how money, markets, trade and government policy shape a country’s wellbeing – working for banks, government (National Treasury, the Reserve Bank), research institutions or international organisations. It’s more about analysis, forecasting and policy writing than the hands-on money management of a financial manager.

Where this degree can take you

  • Policy Analyst
  • Investment Research Analyst
  • Treasury Economist
  • Development Economist

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Economics (helpful)

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 4 of 4 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

4 degrees at 4 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Nelson Mandela University

Partly verifiedFrom an older document

BCom General (Economics)

Business & Economic Sciences · 3 years

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 390 out of 600 (+7 bonus in some cases)

  • Mathematics: 50%

From NMU’s own faculty "UG Guide" PDFs, most of which are dated/closing in 2024 - apparently covering the 2025 intake, not independently confirmed as current for 2027 (NMU appears to roll these forward with the same structure each year, but treat the figures as "last confirmed" rather than "2027-verified"). No 2027 closing date is stated.

Source: View the official page (business.mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

BCom Economic Sciences

Economic & Management Sciences · 3 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 65 %

  • Mathematics: 60%

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Pretoria

BCom Economics

Economic & Management Sciences

UP APS 32 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)

Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Witwatersrand

From an older document

Bachelor of Economic Science

Commerce, Law & Management · 3 years

Wits APS 42 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 7 (80% or more)

This figure comes from the Wits schools-liaison Grade 12 guide, which is headed for 2026 entry. We have not yet found a 2027 course-finder page confirming it, so treat it as the most recent official figure rather than a confirmed 2027 one.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every degree above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?