Holidays in South Africa 2026
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026 · Holiday data: October 13, 2026
The 2026 South Africa holiday table below lists 13 dates, each one a day this calculator treats as closed. 11 fall on a weekday and 2 land on a weekend, leaving 250 working days across the year on the national-only count. A date is not always a holiday of its own: 1 is marked observed or additional, the day a holiday was moved to or a further day granted with it.
2026 public holidays calendar
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| Mar 21 | Saturday (weekend) | Human Rights Day |
| Apr 3 | Friday | Good Friday |
| Apr 6 | Monday | Family Day |
| Apr 27 | Monday | Freedom Day |
| May 1 | Friday | Workers' Day |
| Jun 16 | Tuesday | Youth Day |
| Aug 10 | Monday | National Women's Day (observed) |
| Sep 24 | Thursday | Heritage Day |
| Nov 4 | Wednesday | Declared Public Holiday |
| Dec 16 | Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| Dec 26 | Saturday (weekend) | Day of Goodwill |
2026 year summary
Total days
365
Weekend days
104
Public holidays on weekdays
11
Working days
250
The 2 weekend dates in 2026 fall on a Saturday or Sunday, days the count already excludes, so the working-day reduction comes only from the 11 weekday dates. Schedule 1 to the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 lists 12 public holidays, and since the Public Holidays Amendment Act 48 of 1995 a day the President declares by proclamation under section 2A is a public holiday as well. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Act makes the following Monday a public holiday. That is the only weekend rule the government's holiday page states, and this calculator moves no Saturday holiday. In 2026 the table carries a day declared under section 2A: Wednesday November 4.
Sources for these rules
- Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026 (Government Gazette 55352 of 8 September 2026): Public Holidays Act, declaration of the fourth day of November 2026 as public holiday throughout the Republic (South African Government (Government Gazette))
- Public holidays in South Africa: the holidays the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 determines, and its Sunday rule (South African Government)
- Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 as published in Government Gazette 16136 of 7 December 1994 (the text as made, before Act 48 of 1995): section 2(1), the Monday after a public holiday that falls on a Sunday; the First Schedule and the twelve days it names (South African Government (Government Gazette))
- Public Holidays Amendment Act 48 of 1995 (Government Gazette 16716 of 4 October 1995): s 1 substitutes the definition of public holidays to add any day declared under section 2A; s 2 inserts section 2A, the President may by proclamation in the Gazette declare any day to be a public holiday (South African Government (Government Gazette))
Checked October 13, 2026. All sources
Holidays not included
This set is the public holidays of Schedule 1 to the Act, each on its own date except one that falls on a Sunday, which the table lists on the following Monday and not on the Sunday, and the days declared under section 2A that the table lists. Days that are not public holidays under the Act, such as school holidays or a company's own closures, are not counted; add them in the calculator's Advanced options.
Sources for these rules
- Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 as published in Government Gazette 16136 of 7 December 1994 (the text as made, before Act 48 of 1995): section 2(1), the Monday after a public holiday that falls on a Sunday; the First Schedule and the twelve days it names (South African Government (Government Gazette))
- Public Holidays Amendment Act 48 of 1995 (Government Gazette 16716 of 4 October 1995): s 1 substitutes the definition of public holidays to add any day declared under section 2A; s 2 inserts section 2A, the President may by proclamation in the Gazette declare any day to be a public holiday (South African Government (Government Gazette))
- Public holidays in South Africa: the holidays the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 determines, and its Sunday rule (South African Government)
Checked October 13, 2026. All sources
Other years
Sources and verification
Official source: South African Government (gov.za) (opens in a new tab)
Cross-checked against this source on October 13, 2026.
South Africa Holidays 2026 - FAQ
How many dates are on the 2026 South Africa holiday calendar?
How many working days does South Africa have in 2026?
Which 2026 public holiday dates fall on a weekday?
Which 2026 holidays fall on a weekend and how are they handled?
Sources for these rules
- Public holidays in South Africa: the holidays the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 determines, and its Sunday rule (South African Government)
Checked October 13, 2026. All sources