Public holidays in South Africa 2019
2019 had 13 public holidays and 4 long weekends. One was declared by the President: the national and provincial elections on Wednesday 8 May. Youth Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 17 June was a public holiday too. Freedom Day fell on a Saturday and didn’t move.
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- 13Public holidays12 in the Act, 1 declared
- 12Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 4Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 249Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2019
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryTuesday | New Year’s Day |
| 21 MarchThursday | Human Rights Day |
| 19 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 22 AprilMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 27 AprilSaturday | Freedom DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 1 MayWednesday | Workers’ Day |
| 8 MayWednesday | National and provincial electionsDeclared by the President. The proclamation. |
| 16 JuneSunday | Youth DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 17 June is a public holiday. |
| 17 JuneMonday | Public holiday: Youth Day observedLong weekendYouth Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 9 AugustFriday | National Women’s DayLong weekend |
| 24 SeptemberTuesday | Heritage Day |
| 16 DecemberMonday | Day of ReconciliationLong weekend |
| 25 DecemberWednesday | Christmas Day |
| 26 DecemberThursday | Day of Goodwill |
Long weekends in 2019
- Friday 19 to Monday 22 April4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 15 to Monday 17 June3 days: Youth Day
- Friday 9 to Sunday 11 August3 days: National Women’s Day
- Saturday 14 to Monday 16 December3 days: Day of Reconciliation
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Monday 31 December 2018 off, before New Year’s Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 29 December to Tuesday 1 January.
- Take Friday 22 March off, after Human Rights Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 March.
- Take Monday 23 September off, before Heritage Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 21 to Tuesday 24 September.
- Take Friday 27 December off, after the Day of Goodwill on Thursday: off from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 December.
2019 calendar
January 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 2019
| 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, Good Friday | 20 | 21 |
| 22, Family Day | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27, Freedom Day | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
May 2019
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Workers’ Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8, National and provincial elections | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
June 2019
| 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, Youth Day observed | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
July 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 2019
| 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 8 May 2019: National and provincial elections. Election day. Source: Proclamation 9 of 2019, Government Gazette 42250, 26 February 2019.
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.