Public holidays in South Africa 2008
2008 had 13 public holidays and 5 long weekends. One was declared by the President: a public holiday in lieu of Human Rights Day on Friday 2 May. 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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- 13Public holidays12 in the Act, 1 declared
- 11Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 5Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 251Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2008
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryTuesday | New Year’s Day |
| 21 MarchFriday | Human Rights DayLong weekendThe same day as Good Friday. |
| 21 MarchFriday | Good FridayLong weekendThe same day as Human Rights Day. |
| 24 MarchMonday | 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’ DayLong weekend |
| 2 MayFriday | Public holiday in lieu of Human Rights DayLong weekendDeclared by the President. The proclamation. |
| 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 2008
- Friday 21 to Monday 24 March4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 26 to Monday 28 April3 days: Freedom Day
- Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 May4 days: Workers’ Day and Public holiday in lieu of Human Rights 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 Monday 31 December 2007 off, before New Year’s Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 29 December to Tuesday 1 January.
- Take Monday 15 December off, before the Day of Reconciliation on Tuesday: off from Saturday 13 to Tuesday 16 December.
2008 calendar
January 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 |
March 2008
| 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 and Good Friday | 22 | 23 |
| 24, Family Day | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
April 2008
| 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, Freedom Day observed | 29 | 30 |
May 2008
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Workers’ Day | 2, Public holiday in lieu of Human Rights Day | 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 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 2008
| 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 |
Declared by the President
- Friday 2 May 2008: Public holiday in lieu of Human Rights Day. Human Rights Day fell on Good Friday (21 March 2008), so a day was added to keep twelve public holidays. Source: Proclamation R7 of 2008, Government Gazette 30900, 20 March 2008.
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.