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Public holidays in South Africa

14 days in 2026 · 14 in 2027

Back to South AfricaSouthern Africa

Next public holiday

Election Day

After it: Day of Reconciliation, Wednesday 16 December

Wednesday, 4 November 2026

The Public Holidays Act of 1994 gives South Africa twelve public holidays, and it adds one rule: when a holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday after it becomes a public holiday too. A holiday on a Saturday is simply lost. In 2026 National Women's Day falls on a Sunday, so Monday 10 August is also off, and 4 November is a day off for the local government elections. In 2027 the Sunday rule applies twice, to Human Rights Day on 21 March and to the Day of Goodwill on 26 December.

Most of the calendar dates from the first democratic government. Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Youth Day and National Women's Day each mark a moment of the struggle against apartheid, from the Sharpeville killings of 1960 to the election of 27 April 1994, while only Good Friday and Christmas Day remain from the church calendar. 16 December has changed its name three times since Union in 1910. The Day of Goodwill was Boxing Day until 1979.

Days off in 2026
14Nationwide public holidays
On a weekday
11Monday to Friday
On a weekend
3Saturday or Sunday
Long weekends
5and 3 with one day of leave

2026

Public holidays in South Africa in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayThe first day of the year, a public holiday since Union in 1910.Thursday
  2. 21 March: Human Rights DayMarks 21 March 1960, when police at Sharpeville opened fire on a crowd protesting against the pass laws, killing 69 people and wounding 180. Under apartheid the anti-apartheid movements kept it as Sharpeville Day, outside the official calendar.Saturday
  3. 3 April: Good FridayThe Friday before Easter Sunday, a public holiday since 1910 and one of two Christian days kept in the post-apartheid calendar.FridayDate moves
  4. 6 April: Family DayThe Monday after Easter, kept as Easter Monday from 1910 and renamed Family Day in 1980.MondayDate moves
  5. 27 April: Freedom DayCommemorates the first democratic elections, held on 27 April 1994.Monday
  6. 1 May: Workers' Day1 May, a public holiday since 1995. From 1987 to 1989 a Workers' Day was kept on the first Friday in May.Friday
  7. 16 June: Youth DayOn 16 June 1976 more than 20,000 pupils in Soweto marched against Bantu education and the order to teach in Afrikaans. About 700 people, many of them young, were killed in the weeks of violence that followed. The day was once known as Soweto Day.Tuesday
  8. 9 August: National Women's DayCommemorates 9 August 1956, when about 20,000 women marched to petition against the pass laws.Sunday
  9. 10 August: National Women's Day observedMonday 10 August 2026, a public holiday because 9 August falls on a Sunday that year.MondayDate moves
  10. 24 September: Heritage DayOne of the days created in 1995, recognising creative expression, language, food, land and the historical inheritance. The government sets a theme for each year's celebrations.Thursday
  11. 4 November: Election DayThe day of the 2026 local government elections, when voting stations open nationally from 07:00 to 21:00. Each national and provincial election since 1999, and each local election since 2006, has been declared a public holiday.WednesdayDate moves
  12. 16 December: Day of Reconciliation16 December, the date of the battle of 1838 at which 470 Voortrekkers held off about 10,000 Zulu troops. Kept as Dingaan's Day, the Day of the Covenant and the Day of the Vow, it has been given to reconciliation and national unity since 1995.Wednesday
  13. 25 December: Christmas Day25 December, a public holiday since 1910 and the second Christian day kept in the calendar.Friday
  14. 26 December: Day of Goodwill26 December, Boxing Day until 1979 and the Day of Goodwill since 1980.Saturday

Long weekends

Long weekends in South Africa in 2026

Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.

  • 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
  • 4daysFri 3 Apr to Mon 6 AprGood Friday, Family Day
  • 3daysSat 25 Apr to Mon 27 AprFreedom Day
  • 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayWorkers' Day
  • 4daysSat 13 Jun to Tue 16 JunWith Mon 15 Jun taken as leave · Youth Day
  • 3daysSat 8 Aug to Mon 10 AugNational Women's Day, National Women's Day observed
  • 4daysThu 24 Sept to Sun 27 SeptWith Fri 25 Sept taken as leave · Heritage Day
  • 3daysFri 25 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Day, Day of Goodwill

2027

Public holidays in South Africa in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayFriday
  2. 21 March: Human Rights DaySunday
  3. 22 March: Human Rights Day observedMondayDate moves
  4. 26 March: Good FridayFridayDate moves
  5. 29 March: Family DayMondayDate moves
  6. 27 April: Freedom DayTuesday
  7. 1 May: Workers' DaySaturday
  8. 16 June: Youth DayWednesday
  9. 9 August: National Women's DayMonday
  10. 24 September: Heritage DayFriday
  11. 16 December: Day of ReconciliationThursday
  12. 25 December: Christmas DaySaturday
  13. 26 December: Day of GoodwillSunday
  14. 27 December: Day of Goodwill observedMondayDate moves

The Sunday rule does not help when two holidays collide. In 2011 Christmas Day fell on a Sunday and the Monday was already the Day of Goodwill, so the Deputy President declared 27 December a holiday and the year kept its twelve paid days. The same was done in 2016 and 2022.

Other days off have been added one at a time. In 2008, when Human Rights Day fell on Good Friday, 2 May was declared in its place; 31 December 1999 and 2 January 2000 covered the Y2K changeover, and 15 December 2023 followed a Rugby World Cup title. Election days are declared the same way, and the Electoral Commission's calendar puts the 2026 local government elections on Wednesday 4 November.

The Christian days have been questioned. In 2013 the commission for cultural, religious and linguistic communities recommended dropping some existing holidays to make room for days of other faiths, and in 2015 the South African Law Reform Commission suggested either reviewing them or giving other faiths equal weight. The government's list still carries the twelve days of the Act.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in South Africa

How many public holidays does South Africa have?

Twelve, fixed by the Public Holidays Act of 1994: New Year's Day, Human Rights Day, Good Friday, Family Day, Freedom Day, Workers' Day, Youth Day, National Women's Day, Heritage Day, the Day of Reconciliation, Christmas Day and the Day of Goodwill. A Sunday holiday adds the following Monday, and election days are declared on top, so the number of days off moves from year to year. In 2026 the Sunday rule and the local elections add two days to the twelve.

What happens to a public holiday that falls on a Sunday?

The Monday after it becomes a public holiday, under the Public Holidays Act. In 2026 that gives Monday 10 August for National Women's Day. In 2027 it gives Monday 22 March for Human Rights Day and Monday 27 December for the Day of Goodwill. A holiday on a Saturday gets no replacement, which in 2027 costs Workers' Day on 1 May and Christmas Day on 25 December.

Is 4 November 2026 a public holiday?

Yes. It is the day of the local government elections, when voting stations across the country are open from 07:00 to 21:00. Election days in South Africa are declared public holidays one at a time: every national and provincial vote since 1999 has had one, and every local vote since 2006, the last on 1 November 2021. The day is a Wednesday, so it does not make a long weekend.

Why is 16 December a holiday?

On 16 December 1838 a force of 470 Voortrekkers held off about 10,000 Zulu troops, and more than 3,000 Zulus died. Before the battle the Voortrekkers vowed to keep the day as one of thanksgiving if they won, and for decades it was Dingaan's Day, then the Day of the Covenant and the Day of the Vow. The democratic government kept the date and gave it a new purpose as the Day of Reconciliation.

What does Youth Day commemorate?

The Soweto uprising. On 16 June 1976 more than 20,000 pupils from Soweto set out on a protest march against the system of Bantu education and a directive that Afrikaans be used equally with English in secondary schools. Clashes with the police followed, and in the weeks of violence about 700 people were killed, many of them young. The day was known as Soweto Day before it became Youth Day.

Is Easter Monday a public holiday in South Africa?

Yes, under the name Family Day. It was called Easter Monday from 1910 to 1979 and has been Family Day since 1980. Good Friday on 3 April 2026 and Family Day on 6 April make a four-day weekend. In 2027 Good Friday is on 26 March and Family Day on 29 March. Easter Sunday itself is not a public holiday.

Which holidays did South Africa drop after 1994?

Several days of the old calendar went: Republic Day on 31 May, Kruger Day on 10 October, Founder's Day on 6 April and Ascension Day, all kept until 1993 or 1994. Van Riebeeck's Day, Settlers' Day, Union Day and the royal birthdays had gone earlier. New Year's Day, Good Friday, Christmas and the days after Easter and Christmas survived under old or new names.

Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-30. The page counts from Wednesday, 30 September 2026, the day it was built.