Holidays in South Africa 2028

South Africa observes 12 public holidays in 2028. 10 fall on a weekday and 2 land on a weekend, leaving 250 working days across the year on the national-only count.

2028 public holidays calendar

Date	Day	Holiday	Notes
Jan 1	Saturday (weekend)	New Year's Day	New Year's Day on a Saturday (January 1) is absorbed into the weekend; the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 only shifts Sunday-falling holidays.
Mar 21	Tuesday	Human Rights Day	Human Rights Day on Tuesday March 21 is a bridge-day candidate; the Monday is sometimes granted as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.
Apr 14	Friday	Good Friday	Good Friday on Friday April 14 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Apr 17	Monday	Family Day	Family Day on Monday April 17 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Apr 27	Thursday	Freedom Day	Freedom Day on Thursday April 27 is a strong bridge-day candidate; many employers grant the Friday as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.
May 1	Monday	Workers' Day	Workers' Day on Monday May 1 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Jun 16	Friday	Youth Day	Youth Day on Friday June 16 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately following Saturday and Sunday.
Aug 9	Wednesday	National Women's Day	National Women's Day on Wednesday August 9 breaks the working week without an obvious adjacent-weekend bridge opportunity.
Sep 25	Monday	Heritage Day (observed)	Heritage Day (observed) on Monday September 25 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Dec 16	Saturday (weekend)	Day of Reconciliation	Day of Reconciliation on a Saturday (December 16) is absorbed into the weekend; the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 only shifts Sunday-falling holidays.
Dec 25	Monday	Christmas Day	Christmas Day on Monday December 25 produces a three-day weekend with the immediately preceding Saturday and Sunday.
Dec 26	Tuesday	Day of Goodwill	Day of Goodwill on Tuesday December 26 is a bridge-day candidate; the Monday is sometimes granted as discretionary leave to produce a four-day weekend.

2028 year summary

Total days

366

Weekend days

106

Public holidays on weekdays

Working days

250

The 2 weekend-falling public holidays in 2028 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 2028 - FAQ

How many public holidays does South Africa have in 2028?

South Africa observes 12 public holidays in 2028. 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 2028?

South Africa has 250 working days in 2028 on the national-only count, after subtracting 106 weekend days and 10 weekday-falling public holidays. Regional or industry-specific holidays may further reduce the count for narrower contract definitions.

Which 2028 public holiday dates fall on a weekday?

10 of South Africa's 12 public holidays in 2028 fall on a weekday and reduce the working days count: Human Rights Day (Tuesday, March 21); Good Friday (Friday, April 14); Family Day (Monday, April 17); Freedom Day (Thursday, April 27); Workers' Day (Monday, May 1); Youth Day (Friday, June 16); National Women's Day (Wednesday, August 9); Heritage Day (observed) (Monday, September 25); Christmas Day (Monday, December 25); Day of Goodwill (Tuesday, December 26).

Which 2028 holidays fall on a weekend and how are they handled?

2 public holidays in 2028 fall on a weekend: New Year's Day on Saturday, January 1; Day of Reconciliation on Saturday, December 16. 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.