Public holidays in South Africa 2003
2003 had 12 public holidays and 5 long weekends. Freedom Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 28 April was a public holiday too. National Women’s Day fell on a Saturday and didn’t move.
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- 12Public holidaysAll set by the Act
- 11Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 5Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 250Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2003
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryWednesday | New Year’s Day |
| 21 MarchFriday | Human Rights DayLong weekend |
| 18 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 21 AprilMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 27 AprilSunday | Freedom DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 28 April is a public holiday. |
| 28 AprilMonday | Public holiday: Freedom Day observedLong weekendFreedom Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 1 MayThursday | Workers’ Day |
| 16 JuneMonday | Youth DayLong weekend |
| 9 AugustSaturday | National Women’s DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 24 SeptemberWednesday | Heritage Day |
| 16 DecemberTuesday | Day of Reconciliation |
| 25 DecemberThursday | Christmas DayLong weekend |
| 26 DecemberFriday | Day of GoodwillLong weekend |
Long weekends in 2003
- Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March3 days: Human Rights Day
- Friday 18 to Monday 21 April4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 26 to Monday 28 April3 days: Freedom Day
- Saturday 14 to Monday 16 June3 days: Youth Day
- Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 December4 days: Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Friday 2 May off, after Workers’ Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 May.
- Take Monday 15 December off, before the Day of Reconciliation on Tuesday: off from Saturday 13 to Tuesday 16 December.
2003 calendar
January 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, New Year’s Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
February 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
March 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21, Human Rights Day | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
April 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18, Good Friday | 19 | 20 |
| 21, Family Day | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27, Freedom Day |
| 28, Freedom Day observed | 29 | 30 |
May 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Workers’ Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
June 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16, Youth Day | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 |
July 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
August 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9, National Women’s Day | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
September 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24, Heritage Day | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
October 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
November 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
December 2003
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16, Day of Reconciliation | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25, Christmas Day | 26, Day of Goodwill | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
How the dates are set
South Africa has 12 public holidays, set by the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. Ten fall on the same date every year. Good Friday and Family Day move with Easter: they are the Friday before and the Monday after Easter Sunday.
The Sunday rule. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday after it is a public holiday too (section 2(1) of the Act). A holiday on a Saturday doesn’t move.
The President can also declare any day a public holiday, by proclamation in the Government Gazette (section 2A). Election days are declared this way.
Source: the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 (Schedule 1 and sections 2(1) and 2A) and the President’s proclamations in the Government Gazette, checked against the government’s published lists on 7 November 2026.