Public holidays in South Africa 2009
2009 had 13 public holidays and 5 long weekends. One was declared by the President: the national and provincial elections on Wednesday 22 April. National Women’s Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 10 August was a public holiday too. Human Rights Day and the Day of Goodwill 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
- 250Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2009
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryThursday | New Year’s Day |
| 21 MarchSaturday | Human Rights DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 10 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 13 AprilMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 22 AprilWednesday | National and provincial electionsDeclared by the President. The proclamation. |
| 27 AprilMonday | Freedom DayLong weekend |
| 1 MayFriday | Workers’ DayLong weekend |
| 16 JuneTuesday | Youth Day |
| 9 AugustSunday | National Women’s DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 10 August is a public holiday. |
| 10 AugustMonday | Public holiday: National Women’s Day observedLong weekendNational Women’s Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 24 SeptemberThursday | Heritage Day |
| 16 DecemberWednesday | Day of Reconciliation |
| 25 DecemberFriday | Christmas DayLong weekend |
| 26 DecemberSaturday | Day of GoodwillLong weekendFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
Long weekends in 2009
- Friday 10 to Monday 13 April4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 25 to Monday 27 April3 days: Freedom Day
- Friday 1 to Sunday 3 May3 days: Workers’ Day
- Saturday 8 to Monday 10 August3 days: National Women’s Day
- Friday 25 to Sunday 27 December3 days: Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Friday 2 January off, after New Year’s Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 January.
- Take Monday 15 June off, before Youth Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 13 to Tuesday 16 June.
- Take Friday 25 September off, after Heritage Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September.
2009 calendar
January 2009
| 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 2009
| 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 2009
| 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 2009
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10, Good Friday | 11 | 12 |
| 13, Family Day | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22, National and provincial elections | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 2009
| 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 2009
| 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 2009
| 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 2009
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9, National Women’s Day |
| 10, National Women’s Day observed | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
September 2009
| 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 2009
| 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 2009
| 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 2009
| 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
- Wednesday 22 April 2009: National and provincial elections. Election day. Source: Proclamation 17 of 2009, Government Gazette 32039, 19 March 2009.
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.