Education, schools and matric - dates and guides
South African school term dates, school holidays, matric exams and results, university and TVET application windows, and NSFAS dates - sourced from the gazette.
Public schools in 2027 open on 13 January and close on 8 December, across four terms totalling 197 learner days. The 2026 school year ended on 9 December 2026.
Last reviewed 2026-10-13 · next scheduled review 2026-10-14
- 2027 school year
- 13 Jan – 8 Dec
- 2027 learner days
- 197
- Independent schools
- set their own dates
Coming up
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6 Oct – 9 Dec 2026
Confirmed In 55 days2026 school Term 4 (public schools)
The final term of 2026 runs 10 weeks from Tuesday 6 October to Wednesday 9 December for learners. Educators stay on until Friday 11 December for administration and marking. There are no public holidays in term time, giving 47 school days. Grade 12 candidates write the NSC examinations throughout this term.
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Fri 23 Oct 2026
Confirmed In 8 days2026 NSC Mathematics Paper 1 and Mathematical Literacy Paper 1
Mathematics Paper 1, Mathematical Literacy Paper 1 and Technical Mathematics Paper 1 will be written at 09:00 on Friday 23 October 2026. These are the highest-enrolment papers in the NSC timetable, with well over half a million candidates expected to write nationally.
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Mon 26 Oct 2026
Confirmed In 11 days2026 NSC Mathematics Paper 2 and Mathematical Literacy Paper 2
Mathematics Paper 2, Mathematical Literacy Paper 2 and Technical Mathematics Paper 2 will be written at 09:00 on Monday 26 October 2026. Candidates should confirm their own paper(s) against the official DBE timetable, because Technical Mathematics follows a different paper structure.
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Wed 28 Oct 2026
Confirmed In 13 days2026 NSC English Home Language, FAL and SAL Paper 1
English Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language Paper 1 will be written at 09:00 on Wednesday 28 October 2026. English is compulsory for the NSC, so this is the single largest paper on the timetable.
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Fri 30 Oct 2026
Confirmed In 15 days2026 NSC Physical Sciences Paper 1 and Technical Sciences Paper 1
Physical Sciences Paper 1 and Technical Sciences Paper 1 will be written at 09:00 on Friday 30 October 2026. Physical Sciences Paper 2 follows on Monday 2 November 2026, after which the timetable pauses for three non-examination days.
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Sat 31 Oct 2026
Corrected In 16 daysNSFAS 2027 applications close - date shown on the NSFAS application guide
The NSFAS application guide for 2027 displays 31 October 2026 as the closing date. Because the ministerial launch announcement gave a later date of 18 November 2026, Find SA Status recommends applicants treat 31 October as the effective deadline and submit well before it. Applying early also leaves time to correct a rejected document upload, which is the most common reason an application fails.
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3 Nov – 5 Nov 2026
Confirmed In 21 days2026 NSC non-examination days in November
The DBE timetable marked Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026 as non-examination days, with a further non-examination day on Monday 9 November 2026. These gaps exist to allow for marking logistics and to separate subjects that would otherwise clash for candidates taking unusual subject combinations.
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Wed 18 Nov 2026
Corrected In 34 daysNSFAS 2027 applications close - date announced at the ministerial launch
The Minister of Higher Education and Training announced 18 November 2026 as the closing date for 2027 NSFAS applications at the launch on 18 September 2026. This is later than the date currently displayed on the NSFAS application guide. Applications close at 23:59 South African time.
Education, Schools & Matric guides
- Matric results 2026: release date, how to check your NSC results, and re-marks When NSC matric results are released, how to check them on the DBE and second-chance channels, how re-marks and re-checks work, and when to register for the rewrite.
- South African school calendar 2027: term dates and holidays The gazetted 2027 public school calendar: Term 1 opens 13 January and the year ends 8 December, with all four terms and school holidays listed.
- Matric rewrite 2027: who can rewrite, when to apply, and what it costs How the NSC May/June re-write examinations work, who qualifies to improve their results, how to enrol as a part-time candidate, and the deadlines that matter.
- Public holidays and long weekends planner: how to get the most leave for the least days A practical method for planning leave around South Africa’s public holidays and school breaks - which clusters give four-day weekends, and what the leave costs.
- School admissions: how and when to apply for a place in a public school When school admissions open and close for the following year, what documents an application needs, how placement works, and what to do if you miss the window.
- School holidays 2027: every break, with dates and length All four South African school holidays in 2027 with exact dates, the special school holiday on 26 April, and how the breaks compare with 2026.
- School terms explained: how the South African school year is structured How public school terms are set and gazetted, why there are four terms, what learner days mean, and how the year compares with independent schools.
- University application deadlines: how the South African cycle works When applications to South African public universities open and close, why most close on 30 September, how to apply to several institutions, and what happens after.
Who actually runs these services
Find SA Status explains and links. We do not run any of these services and cannot act on your behalf. For anything that needs action - an application, a payment, a status check - go directly to the official body.
- Department of Basic Education (opens in a new tab) www.education.gov.za/
- Department of Higher Education and Training (opens in a new tab) www.dhet.gov.za/
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