Public holidays in South Africa 2028
2028 has 12 public holidays and 5 long weekends. Heritage Day falls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 September is a public holiday too. New Year’s Day and the Day of Reconciliation fall on a Saturday and don’t move.
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- 12Public holidaysAll set by the Act
- 10Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 5Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 250Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2028
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuarySaturday | New Year’s DayFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 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 2028
- 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.
2028 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 | 29 |
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 | 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
| 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 | 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, Heritage Day observed | 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 | 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 |
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.