Public holidays in South Africa 2012
2012 had 12 public holidays and 5 long weekends. New Year’s Day and the Day of Reconciliation fell on a Sunday, so Monday 2 January and Monday 17 December were public holidays too. Youth 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 2012
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuarySunday | New Year’s DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 2 January is a public holiday. |
| 2 JanuaryMonday | Public holiday: New Year’s Day observedLong weekendNew Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 21 MarchWednesday | Human Rights Day |
| 6 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 9 AprilMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 27 AprilFriday | Freedom DayLong weekend |
| 1 MayTuesday | Workers’ Day |
| 16 JuneSaturday | Youth DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 9 AugustThursday | National Women’s Day |
| 24 SeptemberMonday | Heritage DayLong weekend |
| 16 DecemberSunday | Day of ReconciliationLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 17 December is a public holiday. |
| 17 DecemberMonday | Public holiday: Day of Reconciliation observedLong weekendThe Day of Reconciliation falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 25 DecemberTuesday | Christmas Day |
| 26 DecemberWednesday | Day of Goodwill |
Long weekends in 2012
- Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January3 days: New Year’s Day
- Friday 6 to Monday 9 April4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Friday 27 to Sunday 29 April3 days: Freedom Day
- Saturday 22 to Monday 24 September3 days: Heritage Day
- Saturday 15 to Monday 17 December3 days: Day of Reconciliation
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Monday 30 April off, before Workers’ Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 28 April to Tuesday 1 May.
- Take Friday 10 August off, after National Women’s Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 August.
- Take Monday 24 December off, before Christmas Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 22 to Tuesday 25 December.
2012 calendar
January 2012
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, New Year’s Day | ||||||
| 2, New Year’s 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 |
February 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6, Good Friday | 7 | 8 |
| 9, Family Day | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 |
| 30 |
May 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| 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 2012
| 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, Day of Reconciliation observed | 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.