South African public holidays - 2026, 2027 and the rules
South African public holidays for 2026 and 2027, including which holidays fall on a Sunday and move to the Monday, and which fall on a Saturday and do not move.
South Africa has twelve public holidays a year under the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. When one falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the public holiday. When one falls on a Saturday, nothing moves and the Monday is an ordinary working day. That single rule is the source of most incorrect public holiday lists.
Last reviewed 2026-10-13 · next scheduled review 2026-11-15 · official source
The substitution rule, in full
Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act says: whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a public holiday in its place. The Sunday is not an extra holiday - the Monday replaces it. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Act says nothing, so nothing happens. This is why Workers' Day 2027, which falls on a Saturday, gives no day off on Monday 3 May.
Public holidays are also not the same thing as the special school holidays the Department of Basic Education sometimes declares. A special school holiday closes schools only; banks, government offices and most businesses stay open.
Public holidays by year
Every public holiday in the dataset
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Thu 1 Jan 2026
Confirmed 287 days agoNew 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.
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Sat 21 Mar 2026
Confirmed 208 days agoHuman 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.
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Fri 3 Apr 2026
Confirmed 195 days agoGood 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.
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Mon 6 Apr 2026
Confirmed 192 days agoFamily 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.
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Mon 27 Apr 2026
Confirmed 171 days agoFreedom 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.
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Fri 1 May 2026
Confirmed 167 days agoWorkers' 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.
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Tue 16 Jun 2026
Confirmed 121 days agoYouth 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.
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Sun 9 Aug 2026
Confirmed 67 days agoNational 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.
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Mon 10 Aug 2026
Confirmed 66 days agoNational 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.
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Thu 24 Sep 2026
Confirmed 21 days agoHeritage 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.
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Wed 16 Dec 2026
Confirmed In 62 daysDay of Reconciliation 2026
The Day of Reconciliation falls on Wednesday 16 December 2026, midway through the December school holidays. It is one of the busiest days of the year on South African roads.
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Fri 25 Dec 2026
Confirmed In 71 daysChristmas Day 2026
Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December 2026, followed by the Day of Goodwill on Saturday 26 December. Government services, banks and licensing offices generally close on public holidays; check individual operating hours for the surrounding period.
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Sat 26 Dec 2026
Confirmed In 72 daysDay of Goodwill 2026
The Day of Goodwill falls on Saturday 26 December 2026. Under section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act, a public holiday that falls on a Sunday is observed on the following Monday; because this holiday falls on a Saturday, Monday 28 December is not a substitute public holiday.
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Fri 1 Jan 2027
Confirmed In 78 daysNew Year's Day 2027
New Year's Day 2027 falls on a Friday, creating a long weekend at the end of the December school holidays. Government offices, banks and most businesses are closed.
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Sun 21 Mar 2027
Confirmed In 157 daysHuman Rights Day 2027
Human Rights Day 2027 falls on a Sunday. Under section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act the public holiday moves to Monday 22 March 2027, so the official day off is the Monday.
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Mon 22 Mar 2027
Confirmed In 158 daysHuman Rights Day observed - Monday 22 March 2027
Monday 22 March 2027 is a public holiday because Human Rights Day falls on Sunday 21 March. It falls in the autumn school break, so it does not reduce the number of school days in Term 2.
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Fri 26 Mar 2027
Confirmed In 162 daysGood Friday 2027
Good Friday 2027 falls on 26 March, in the middle of the autumn school holidays. It combines with Human Rights Day on Monday 22 March and Family Day on Monday 29 March to create an unusually generous late-March break.
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Mon 29 Mar 2027
Confirmed In 165 daysFamily Day 2027
Family Day 2027 falls on Monday 29 March, the Monday after Easter Sunday. With Human Rights Day observed on Monday 22 March, 2027 gives two consecutive long weekends in March.
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Tue 27 Apr 2027
Confirmed In 194 daysFreedom Day 2027
Freedom Day 2027 falls on a Tuesday. Combined with the special school holiday on Monday 26 April, learners get a four-day break, but only 27 April is a public holiday for employers in general.
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Sat 1 May 2027
Confirmed In 198 daysWorkers' Day 2027
Workers' Day 2027 falls on a Saturday. Because the Public Holidays Act only substitutes Sunday holidays, there is no public holiday on Monday 3 May 2027 and it is a normal working day.
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Wed 16 Jun 2027
Confirmed In 244 daysYouth Day 2027
Youth Day 2027 falls on a Wednesday, in the middle of school Term 2. The Department of Basic Education's 2027 calendar counts it as one of three public holidays that reduce teaching time in Term 2.
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Mon 9 Aug 2027
Confirmed In 298 daysNational Women's Day 2027
National Women's Day 2027 falls on a Monday, creating a natural long weekend and one public holiday inside school Term 3. No substitute day applies because the date does not fall on a Sunday.
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Fri 24 Sep 2027
Confirmed In 344 daysHeritage Day 2027
Heritage Day 2027 falls on a Friday, straight after schools close for the spring break on 22 September. It is the busiest travel weekend of the South African spring.
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Thu 16 Dec 2027
Confirmed In 427 daysDay of Reconciliation 2027
The Day of Reconciliation 2027 falls on a Thursday, during the December school holidays. Taking Friday 17 December as leave produces a four-day break.
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Sat 25 Dec 2027
Confirmed In 436 daysChristmas Day 2027
Christmas Day 2027 falls on a Saturday, followed by the Day of Goodwill on Sunday 26 December. The Sunday holiday moves to Monday 27 December, giving a three-day weekend for most employees.
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Sun 26 Dec 2027
Confirmed In 437 daysDay of Goodwill 2027
The Day of Goodwill 2027 falls on a Sunday, so Monday 27 December 2027 becomes the public holiday in its place under the Public Holidays Act.
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Mon 27 Dec 2027
Confirmed In 438 daysDay of Goodwill observed - Monday 27 December 2027
Monday 27 December 2027 is a public holiday in place of the Day of Goodwill, which falls on the Sunday. Christmas Day is the Saturday, so employees who normally work Monday to Friday get a three-day weekend.
Do you get paid for a public holiday?
The Public Holidays Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act between them set the working rules. An employee who works on a public holiday is entitled to at least double the normal daily wage for that day, and an employee who does not work is entitled to the normal daily wage. An employer and employee cannot agree to give up the public holiday. Public holidays are not deducted from annual leave.
Shops and businesses are not required to close on a public holiday, but trading-hour restrictions and liquor licence conditions can apply on specific days - notably Good Friday. Confirm the specific rule with the relevant provincial authority rather than assuming a national rule.
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