Public holidays in South Africa 2005
2005 had 12 public holidays and 5 long weekends. Workers’ Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 2 May was a public holiday too. New Year’s Day and Heritage Day fell on a Saturday and didn’t move.
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- 12Public holidaysAll set by the Act
- 9Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 5Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 251Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2005
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuarySaturday | New Year’s DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 21 MarchMonday | Human Rights DayLong weekend |
| 25 MarchFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 28 MarchMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 27 AprilWednesday | Freedom Day |
| 1 MaySunday | Workers’ DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 2 May is a public holiday. |
| 2 MayMonday | Public holiday: Workers’ Day observedLong weekendWorkers’ Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 16 JuneThursday | Youth Day |
| 9 AugustTuesday | National Women’s Day |
| 24 SeptemberSaturday | Heritage DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 16 DecemberFriday | Day of ReconciliationLong weekend |
| 25 DecemberSunday | Christmas DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday. The Monday is already the Day of Goodwill, so no day is added. |
| 26 DecemberMonday | Day of GoodwillLong weekend |
Long weekends in 2005
- Saturday 19 to Monday 21 March3 days: Human Rights Day
- Friday 25 to Monday 28 March4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 30 April to Monday 2 May3 days: Workers’ Day
- Friday 16 to Sunday 18 December3 days: Day of Reconciliation
- Saturday 24 to Monday 26 December3 days: Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Friday 17 June off, after Youth Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 June.
- Take Monday 8 August off, before National Women’s Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 August.
2005 calendar
January 2005
| 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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, Good Friday | 26 | 27 |
| 28, Family Day | 29 | 30 | 31 |
April 2005
| 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, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 2005
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Workers’ Day | ||||||
| 2, Workers’ Day observed | 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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 2005
| 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.
When Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, the Monday is already the Day of Goodwill, so the Sunday rule adds nothing. The President declared 27 December a public holiday instead in 2011, 2016 and 2022. In 2005 he didn’t, and 27 December 2005 was a normal working day.
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.