Public holidays in South Africa 2026
2026 has 13 public holidays and 5 long weekends. One was declared by the President: the local government elections on Wednesday 4 November. National Women’s Day falls on a Sunday, so Monday 10 August is a public holiday too. Human Rights Day and the Day of Goodwill fall on a Saturday and don’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 2026
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuaryThursday | New Year’s Day |
| 21 MarchSaturday | Human Rights DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 3 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 6 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 |
| 4 NovemberWednesday | Local government electionsDeclared by the President. The proclamation. |
| 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 2026
- Friday 3 to Monday 6 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.
2026 calendar
January
| 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
| 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
| 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
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3, Good Friday | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6, Family Day | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4, Local government elections | 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
| 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 4 November 2026: Local government elections. Election day. Source: Proclamation 346 of 2026, Government Gazette 55352, 8 September 2026.
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.