Public Holidays

Discover upcoming public holiday dates for South Africa and start planning to make the most of your time off.

2026 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Thu	New Year's Day
21 Mar	Sat	Human Rights Day
3 Apr	Fri	Good Friday
6 Apr	Mon	Family Day
27 Apr	Mon	Freedom Day
1 May	Fri	Workers' Day
16 Jun	Tue	Youth Day
9 Aug	Sun	National Women's Day
10 Aug	Mon	National Women's Day Holiday
24 Sep	Thu	Heritage Day
16 Dec	Wed	Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec	Fri	Christmas Day
26 Dec	Sat	Day of Goodwill
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2027 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Fri	New Year's Day
21 Mar	Sun	Human Rights Day
22 Mar	Mon	Human Rights Day Holiday
26 Mar	Fri	Good Friday
29 Mar	Mon	Family Day
27 Apr	Tue	Freedom Day
1 May	Sat	Workers' Day
16 Jun	Wed	Youth Day
9 Aug	Mon	National Women's Day
24 Sep	Fri	Heritage Day
16 Dec	Thu	Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec	Sat	Christmas Day
26 Dec	Sun	Day of Goodwill
27 Dec	Mon	Christmas Holiday
The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2027 are released.

2028 Public Holidays

Date	Day	Holiday
1 Jan	Sat	New Year's Day
21 Mar	Tue	Human Rights Day
14 Apr	Fri	Good Friday
17 Apr	Mon	Family Day
27 Apr	Thu	Freedom Day
1 May	Mon	Workers' Day
16 Jun	Fri	Youth Day
9 Aug	Wed	National Women's Day
24 Sep	Sun	Heritage Day
25 Sep	Mon	Heritage Day Holiday
16 Dec	Sat	Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec	Mon	Christmas Day
26 Dec	Tue	Day of Goodwill
The dates in this table are an estimate. We will update this page once the official public holiday dates for 2028 are released.

South Africa’s Public Holiday Act established in 1994 regulates the country’s paid public holidays. Employees are entitled to 12 paid public holidays per year.

Many South African public holidays were established in honor of political struggles and the country’s fight to achieve equality for all citizens. Freedom Day is an observance of South Africa’s first democratic elections. Youth Day honor’s the country’s young adults, many of whom lost their lives during protests and riots during the struggle for equal education.

One of the newest and most significant public holidays is Heritage Day. This important holiday celebrates cultural diversity and the historical inheritance of all citizens nationwide. The annual celebration promotes culture as a means to build a new and peaceful nation. The Day of Reconciliation, also known as a day of thanksgiving celebrates the advent of democracy in a once war-ravished nation.

If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, employees are entitled to take the following Monday off with pay. All employees are paid for public holidays at the normal pay rate. Employees are not required to work on public holidays with prior written authorisation. In the event an employee is required to work on a holiday, he or she will receive compensation equal to double the regular wage, known as double time.

The laws are somewhat different for shift workers. If a regularly scheduled shift includes a public holiday, the entire shift is designated as a holiday. Shift workers must be paid a minimum of double time for the entire shift.