Holidays in South Africa 2027

South Africa observes 12 public holidays in 2027. 10 fall on a weekday and 2 land on a weekend, leaving 251 working days across the year on the national-only count.

2027 public holidays calendar

Date	Day	Holiday	Notes
Jan 1	Friday	New Year's Day	New Year's Day on Friday January 1 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Mar 22	Monday	Human Rights Day (observed)	Human Rights Day (observed) on Monday March 22 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Mar 26	Friday	Good Friday	Good Friday on Friday March 26 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Mar 29	Monday	Family Day	Family Day on Monday March 29 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Apr 27	Tuesday	Freedom Day	Freedom Day on Tuesday April 27 is a bridge-day candidate; the Monday is sometimes granted as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.
May 1	Saturday (weekend)	Workers' Day	Workers' Day on a Saturday (May 1) is absorbed into the weekend; the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 only shifts Sunday-falling holidays.
Jun 16	Wednesday	Youth Day	Youth Day on Wednesday June 16 breaks the working week without an obvious adjacent-weekend bridge opportunity.
Aug 9	Monday	National Women's Day	National Women's Day on Monday August 9 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Sep 24	Friday	Heritage Day	Heritage Day on Friday September 24 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Dec 16	Thursday	Day of Reconciliation	Day of Reconciliation on Thursday December 16 is a strong bridge-day candidate; many employers grant the Friday as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.
Dec 25	Saturday (weekend)	Christmas Day	Christmas Day on a Saturday (December 25) is absorbed into the weekend; the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 only shifts Sunday-falling holidays.
Dec 27	Monday	Day of Goodwill (observed)	Day of Goodwill (observed) on Monday December 27 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.

2027 year summary

Total days

365

Weekend days

104

Public holidays on weekdays

Working days

251

The 2 weekend-falling public holidays in 2027 are absorbed into the regular Saturday and Sunday count, so the working-day reduction comes only from the 10 weekday-falling entries. South Africa observes 12 public holidays under the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed under section 2 of the Act; Saturday-falling holidays are absorbed into the weekend without an in-lieu Monday.

Holidays not included

Religious observances such as Reformation Day, the Day of the Vow (pre-1994 December 16 name now replaced by Day of Reconciliation), and minor church-tradition days are not in this set. The Public Service Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act apply only to the 12 statutory holidays. School holidays vary by province and term schedule and are excluded. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) follows the same observance schedule as the SARB.

Other years

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South Africa Holidays 2027 - FAQ

How many public holidays does South Africa have in 2027?

South Africa observes 12 public holidays in 2027. Of those, 10 fall on a weekday and 2 land on a weekend. The complete list with dates and weekday placements is in the calendar table above.

How many working days does South Africa have in 2027?

South Africa has 251 working days in 2027 on the national-only count, after subtracting 104 weekend days and 10 weekday-falling public holidays. Regional or industry-specific holidays may further reduce the count for narrower contract definitions.

Which 2027 public holiday dates fall on a weekday?

10 of South Africa's 12 public holidays in 2027 fall on a weekday and reduce the working days count: New Year's Day (Friday, January 1); Human Rights Day (observed) (Monday, March 22); Good Friday (Friday, March 26); Family Day (Monday, March 29); Freedom Day (Tuesday, April 27); Youth Day (Wednesday, June 16); National Women's Day (Monday, August 9); Heritage Day (Friday, September 24); Day of Reconciliation (Thursday, December 16); Day of Goodwill (observed) (Monday, December 27).

Which 2027 holidays fall on a weekend and how are they handled?

2 public holidays in 2027 fall on a weekend: Workers' Day on Saturday, May 1; Christmas Day on Saturday, December 25. Sunday-falling South African holidays trigger an in-lieu Monday under section 2 of the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994; Saturday-falling holidays are absorbed into the weekend without an in-lieu Monday.