Public holidays in South Africa 2020
2020 had 12 public holidays and 5 long weekends. 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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- 12Public holidaysAll set by the Act
- 10Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 5Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 252Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2020
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryWednesday | 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 |
| 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 2020
- 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 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.
2020 calendar
January 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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 2020
| 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.