Archive of South African dates and deadlines that have passed

What the archive is for

A deadline that has passed is still information. Employers and payroll teams check when a filing window closed; researchers need the exact date something happened; and anyone who missed a date wants to know whether the next occurrence is in three months or twelve. Deleting past dates would also make our corrections invisible - the record of a conflicting NSFAS closing date only has value while both versions remain visible.

2026 - 43 closed records

• Tue 13 Oct 2026 · Matric exams

  2026 NSC (matric) examinations begin

  The October/November 2026 National Senior Certificate examination session began on Tuesday 13 October 2026 with Computer Applications Technology Practical Paper 1 at 09:00. Practical assessments in Visual Arts, Design and Performing Arts ran earlier in September and October. Morning papers start at 09:00 and afternoon papers at 14:00.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Tue 6 Oct 2026 · SASSA payments

  SASSA Child Support and other grants payment - October 2026

  Child Support Grants, Foster Child Grants and Grant-in-Aid were paid on Tuesday 6 October 2026. The Child Support Grant is R580 per child per month and the Foster Child Grant is R1 290 per month following the April 2026 increases.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 24 Sep 2026 – Mon 5 Oct 2026 · School holidays

  2026 spring school holiday

  The 2026 spring break ran for 12 days from Thursday 24 September to Monday 5 October. Heritage Day fell on the first day. Schools reopened for the final term on Tuesday 6 October.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 5 Oct 2026 · SASSA payments

  SASSA Disability and Care Dependency Grant payment - October 2026

  Disability Grants and Care Dependency Grants were paid on Monday 5 October 2026. Both grants are R2 400 per month following the April 2026 increase. If a payment has not reflected by the end of the payment day, beneficiaries should contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 rather than travelling to a pay point.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Fri 2 Oct 2026 · SASSA payments

  SASSA Older Persons Grant payment - October 2026

  The Older Persons Grant and War Veterans Grant were paid on Friday 2 October 2026. The Older Persons Grant is R2 400 per month for beneficiaries under 75 and R2 420 for beneficiaries aged 75 and older following the April 2026 increases. Beneficiaries do not need to withdraw on the payment date - the money remains in the account.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Wed 30 Sep 2026 · TVET applications

  Public TVET college applications for 2027 close

  Applications for the 2027 academic year at public TVET colleges closed on 30 September 2026 according to the national announcement. Individual colleges run their own late and second-round windows, and many still accept applications for courses with space at the start of the academic year, so a candidate who missed the national date should contact the specific college directly.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Wed 30 Sep 2026 · University applications

  University applications for 2027 - most public universities close

  Most South African public universities close applications for the following academic year on 30 September, though the exact date differs by institution and some programmes - particularly medicine, engineering and health sciences - close far earlier, often in the first half of the year. There is no single national university application deadline. The Universities South Africa and individual university websites are the only authoritative sources.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Wed 30 Sep 2026 · Provisional tax

  Voluntary third provisional tax payment (top-up) for the 2026 year of assessment

  Taxpayers with a February year-end may make a voluntary third provisional tax payment by 30 September 2026 for the 2026 year of assessment. The payment is optional, but it stops interest from accruing between the second provisional payment and the final assessment date. It is most useful for people whose income rose unexpectedly in the second half of the year.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 24 Sep 2026 · Public holidays

  Heritage Day 2026

  Heritage Day on 24 September celebrates South Africa's cultural diversity and is widely observed as National Braai Day. In 2026 it fell on a Thursday, so Friday 25 September was a normal working day unless leave was taken.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Tue 21 Jul 2026 – Wed 23 Sep 2026 · School terms

  2026 school Term 3 (public schools)

  Term 3 of 2026 ran for 10 weeks from Tuesday 21 July to Wednesday 23 September. National Women's Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 10 August was the public holiday, reducing the 47 scheduled days to 46 actual school days. Term 3 is when the final Grade 12 examination preparations begin.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Fri 18 Sep 2026 · NSFAS

  NSFAS 2027 applications open

  Applications for NSFAS funding for the 2027 academic year opened on Friday 18 September 2026, launched by the Minister of Higher Education and Training. Applications are made online through the myNSFAS portal and are free. Applicants must apply for admission to a public university or TVET college separately - an NSFAS application is not an admission application.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 31 Aug 2026 · Provisional tax

  Provisional tax (IRP6) - first payment for the 2027 year of assessment

  The first provisional tax payment for taxpayers with a February year-end was due on 31 August 2026. It covers the first six months of the 2027 year of assessment and is submitted as an IRP6 return. Taxpayers who are provisional taxpayers include sole proprietors, freelancers, rental-property owners and most companies.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 10 Aug 2026 · Public holidays

  National Women's Day observed - Monday 10 August 2026

  Because National Women's Day fell on a Sunday in 2026, the following Monday, 10 August 2026, was a public holiday in its place. This is the only Sunday-substitution holiday in the 2026 calendar and it fell inside school Term 3.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Sun 9 Aug 2026 · Public holidays

  National Women's Day 2026

  National Women's Day marks the 1956 march of around 20 000 women to the Union Buildings. In 2026 it fell on a Sunday, so Monday 10 August 2026 was a public holiday in its place under section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Sat 27 Jun 2026 – Mon 20 Jul 2026 · School holidays

  2026 winter school holiday

  The 2026 winter break ran for 24 days from Saturday 27 June to Monday 20 July. Schools reopened for Term 3 on Tuesday 21 July. This is the longest holiday of the school year apart from December.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 13 Jul 2026 · Filing season

  SARS filing season 2026 opens on eFiling and the SARS MobiApp

  Manual filing for the 2026 year of assessment opened on 13 July 2026 for every taxpayer who was not auto-assessed, or who rejected their auto-assessment. Returns can be submitted through eFiling, the SARS MobiApp or at a SARS branch by appointment.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Wed 1 Jul 2026 – Sun 12 Jul 2026 · Filing season

  SARS auto-assessment notices issued for the 2026 filing season

  SARS issued auto-assessment notices to selected taxpayers between 1 and 12 July 2026. If you received one, SARS has pre-filled a return using data from employers, medical schemes, banks and the South African Revenue Service's third-party data returns. Accepting the assessment means the return is filed. Disagreeing means you must submit your own return before the applicable deadline.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Wed 8 Apr 2026 – Fri 26 Jun 2026 · School terms

  2026 school Term 2 (public schools)

  Term 2 was the longest term of 2026, running 12 weeks from Wednesday 8 April to Friday 26 June. It contained three public holidays and one special school holiday - Good Friday and Family Day fell before term started, then Freedom Day, Workers' Day, the special holiday on 15 June and Youth Day - cutting 58 scheduled days to 54 actual school days.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Tue 16 Jun 2026 · Public holidays

  Youth Day 2026

  Youth Day commemorates the Soweto uprising of 16 June 1976. In 2026 it fell on a Tuesday, and the Department of Basic Education declared Monday 15 June 2026 a special school holiday so schools closed for four consecutive days.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 15 Jun 2026 · School holidays

  Special school holiday - Monday 15 June 2026

  The Department of Basic Education declared Monday 15 June 2026 a special school holiday so that the Youth Day long weekend ran from Saturday 13 to Tuesday 16 June. Public schools were closed. This is not a public holiday, so government offices and private businesses were open unless they chose to close.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Fri 1 May 2026 · Public holidays

  Workers' Day 2026

  Workers' Day is a public holiday on 1 May each year. In 2026 it fell on a Friday, producing a three-day weekend. Employers must pay employees who work on a public holiday at double the normal rate under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 27 Apr 2026 · Public holidays

  Freedom Day 2026

  Freedom Day commemorates the first democratic elections held on 27 April 1994. In 2026 it fell on a Monday, creating a natural long weekend. Schools were on autumn break, so it did not reduce the 2026 school day count.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Sat 28 Mar 2026 – Tue 7 Apr 2026 · School holidays

  2026 autumn school holiday

  Public schools closed for the autumn break from Saturday 28 March to Tuesday 7 April 2026, an 11-day break. Learners returned on Wednesday 8 April. Good Friday and Family Day fell inside this break.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Mon 6 Apr 2026 · Public holidays

  Family Day 2026

  Family Day is the Monday after Easter Sunday and is a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act. In 2026 it fell on Monday 6 April, giving most South Africans a four-day weekend that ran from Good Friday.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Fri 3 Apr 2026 · Public holidays

  Good Friday 2026

  Good Friday is a public holiday that falls two days before Easter Sunday. In 2026 it fell on 3 April and formed part of a four-day weekend with Family Day on Easter Monday, 6 April.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Wed 14 Jan 2026 – Fri 27 Mar 2026 · School terms

  2026 school Term 1 (public schools)

  Term 1 of the 2026 public school year ran for 11 weeks, from Wednesday 14 January to Friday 27 March. Educators reported two days earlier on Monday 12 January for administration. There were no public holidays inside this term, giving 53 scheduled school days.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Sat 21 Mar 2026 · Public holidays

  Human Rights Day 2026

  Human Rights Day marks the 1960 Sharpeville massacre and commemorates the adoption of the Constitution. In 2026 it fell on a Saturday, which means there was no substitute public holiday on the following Monday.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · CIPC

  CIPC annual returns - due on the anniversary of incorporation

  Every company and close corporation registered with the CIPC must file an annual return within 30 business days of the anniversary of its incorporation date. The return is filed on the CIPC e-services portal. Filing late moves the company to 'annual return outstanding' status, and continued non-compliance leads to deregistration. Directors are personally affected because a deregistered company cannot trade, open a bank account or hold a contract.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · CIPC

  CIPC beneficial ownership filing - filed with the annual return

  Since 2023, companies must file a beneficial ownership declaration alongside their annual return. The declaration identifies the natural persons who ultimately own or control the company. Companies that file an annual return without the beneficial ownership declaration have the return rejected.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Business compliance

  UIF monthly declaration and payment - by the 7th of the following month

  Employers must declare their employees to the Unemployment Insurance Fund and pay contributions monthly. The UIF contribution is 2% of earnings - 1% from the employer and 1% from the employee - on earnings up to the published monthly ceiling. Declarations are submitted through uFiling, and the payment deadline aligns with the EMP201 deadline of the 7th of the following month.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Business compliance

  B-BBEE sworn affidavit - annual renewal for EMEs and QSEs

  An Exempted Micro-Enterprise with an annual turnover below R10 million can claim a B-BBEE status level using a sworn affidavit rather than a verified certificate. The affidavit must be signed before a Commissioner of Oaths and is valid for twelve months from the date of signing. Businesses that let an affidavit lapse lose their B-BBEE status for tendering purposes immediately, which is the single most common avoidable disqualification in South African public tenders.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · VAT

  VAT Category A tax period ends - January, March, May, July, September, November

  Vendors on the standard VAT Category A cycle have bi-monthly tax periods ending on the last day of January, March, May, July, September and November. A VAT201 return and payment are then due by the last business day of the following month, which gives Category A vendors roughly 30 days. Category B covers the alternate months. Most vendors with taxable supplies above R30 million are placed on the monthly Category C cycle.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Voter registration

  Voter registration is open year-round at IEC offices

  You do not have to wait for a registration weekend. South African citizens aged 16 and older can register to vote at any IEC local office during office hours, and only need a green barcoded ID book, a smart ID card or a valid temporary identity certificate. Citizens aged 16 and 17 can register but may only vote once they turn 18.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Public holidays

  New Year's Day 2026

  New Year's Day is a statutory public holiday across South Africa. It fell on a Thursday in 2026. Government offices, banks, schools and most businesses were closed; most shopping malls and many retailers traded normal or reduced hours.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · PAYE

  Recurring EMP201 PAYE/UIF/SDL deadline - 7th of each month

  Employers must submit an EMP201 return and pay over employees' tax, UIF and SDL contributions by the 7th of the month following the month in which the remuneration was paid. When the 7th falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Late payment attracts a 10% penalty plus interest.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · VAT

  Recurring VAT201 return and payment deadline - bi-monthly and monthly vendors

  Vendors on the standard bi-monthly cycle must submit a VAT201 return and pay the VAT due by the last business day of the month following the end of the tax period. Vendors with taxable supplies above R30 million are placed on the monthly cycle. Where the last day of the month falls on a weekend or public holiday, the deadline moves to the preceding business day. The standard VAT rate is 15%.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Vehicle licences

  Vehicle licence renewal - 21-day grace period after expiry

  South African vehicle licence discs are valid for twelve months from the date of issue or from the expiry date of the previous disc where renewed within the renewal window. The issuing authority sends an MVL2 renewal notice by post or email roughly six to eight weeks before expiry. A 21-day grace period applies after the expiry date, after which the licence is overdue and penalties accumulate by month for the period the vehicle was unlicensed.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Vehicle licences

  Vehicle licence renewal window opens - 2 months before expiry

  You can renew a vehicle licence disc up to two months before the expiry date without losing any part of the twelve-month period. Renewing early is usually cheaper and faster because it avoids the penalty calculation and avoids the queues that build in the last week of every month at busy registering authorities.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Driver's licences

  Driver's licence card collection - 120 days to collect after approval

  Once a driving licence card is produced, the licence holder is required to collect it within 120 days of the card being issued to the driving licence card account. Cards not collected within that period are destroyed. This is a frequent and expensive trap: many people assume the card is being held indefinitely and only discover it has been destroyed when they are asked to apply again and repay.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Traffic fines

  Traffic fine payment window and discounted-payment option

  Where a notice is issued for an infringement and paid within 32 days, some issuing authorities allow a reduced admission-of-guilt amount. After that window the full amount applies, and an unpaid fine is referred for a warrant or a summons. Early payment options differ between AARTO-operational areas and non-AARTO provinces, which is why a fine that offers a discount in Gauteng may not offer one in the Western Cape.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Roadworthy

  Certificate of roadworthiness validity - 12 months

  A certificate of roadworthiness is valid for twelve months from the date of issue. It is required when a vehicle changes ownership, when a vehicle is re-registered after a change of engine or chassis, and for certain classes of vehicle on a recurring basis. A roadworthy certificate is issued by an accredited testing station, not by the licensing department itself.

  Closed · status confirmed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Elections

  2026 Municipal (Local Government) Elections

  South Africa's municipal elections are held every five years. The previous municipal elections were held on 1 November 2021, which means the next ordinary municipal elections are constitutionally due by early November 2026. The exact polling date is proclaimed by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and published in the Government Gazette. At the time this record was last verified, no proclamation date for the 2026 municipal elections had been published in a form Find SA Status could confirm, so no date is shown.

  Closed · status proposed · official source

• Thu 1 Jan 2026 · Voter registration

  Voter registration weekend ahead of the next election

  The IEC holds national voter registration weekends before major elections, when all voting stations open on a Saturday and Sunday for new registrations and address updates. Registration is also possible at a local IEC office on weekdays throughout the year. The dates of the next registration weekend had not been announced at the time this record was last verified.

  Closed · status proposed · official source