Public holidays in South Africa 2017
2017 had 12 public holidays and 6 long weekends. New Year’s Day and Heritage Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 2 January and Monday 25 September were public holidays too. The Day of Reconciliation fell on a Saturday and didn’t move.
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- 12Public holidaysAll set by the Act
- 11Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 6Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 249Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2017
| 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 MarchTuesday | Human Rights Day |
| 14 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 17 AprilMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 27 AprilThursday | Freedom Day |
| 1 MayMonday | Workers’ DayLong weekend |
| 16 JuneFriday | Youth DayLong weekend |
| 9 AugustWednesday | National Women’s Day |
| 24 SeptemberSunday | Heritage DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 September is a public holiday. |
| 25 SeptemberMonday | Public holiday: Heritage Day observedLong weekendHeritage Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 16 DecemberSaturday | Day of ReconciliationFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 25 DecemberMonday | Christmas DayLong weekend |
| 26 DecemberTuesday | Day of GoodwillLong weekend |
Long weekends in 2017
- Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January3 days: New Year’s Day
- Friday 14 to Monday 17 April4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 29 April to Monday 1 May3 days: Workers’ Day
- Friday 16 to Sunday 18 June3 days: Youth Day
- Saturday 23 to Monday 25 September3 days: Heritage Day
- Saturday 23 to Tuesday 26 December4 days: Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Monday 20 March off, before Human Rights Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 18 to Tuesday 21 March.
- Take Friday 28 April off, after Freedom Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 April.
2017 calendar
January 2017
| 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 2017
| 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 2017
| 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 2017
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14, Good Friday | 15 | 16 |
| 17, Family Day | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 2017
| 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 2017
| 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 2017
| 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 2017
| 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 2017
| 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, Heritage Day observed | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
October 2017
| 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 2017
| 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 2017
| 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.