Search tools and countdowns

Press Enter to open the first result, or Esc to close.

South Africa

South Africa public holidays 2026

South Africa has 13 nationwide public holidays in 2026. After them, 2026 has 250 working days. Next up: Local Government Elections on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in 36 days.

Public holidays in South Africa in 2026
DateHoliday
January
Jan 1ThursdayNew Year's DayNationwide
March
Mar 21SaturdayHuman Rights DayNationwide
April
Apr 3FridayGood FridayNationwide
Apr 6MondayFamily DayNationwide
Apr 27MondayFreedom DayNationwide
May
May 1FridayWorkers' DayNationwide
June
Jun 16TuesdayYouth DayNationwide
August
Aug 9SundayNational Women's DayNationwide
Aug 10MondayNational Women's Day Day off in lieuNationwide
September
Sep 24ThursdayHeritage DayNationwide
November
Nov 4WednesdayLocal Government ElectionsNationwide
December
Dec 16WednesdayDay of ReconciliationNationwide
Dec 25FridayChristmas DayNationwide
Dec 26SaturdayDay of GoodwillNationwide
Nationwide
13public holidays
By region
13no regional days
Working days
250after nationwide days off
Long weekends
5+3 with 1 day off

Dates come from the open-source holidays project, which compiles each country's statutory holidays from official sources. Governments sometimes add or move days at short notice, so check official announcements for critical plans. See our sources.

Long weekends in 2026

Stretches of three or more days off built from nationwide holidays and the weekend, plus the ones you can make by taking a single day off.

South Africa public holidays by year

2026 holidays in other countries

More (4)Show fewer

More for 2026

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in South Africa in 2026?

13 nationwide public holidays: New Year's Day (Jan 1); Human Rights Day (Mar 21); Good Friday (Apr 3); Family Day (Apr 6); Freedom Day (Apr 27); Workers' Day (May 1); Youth Day (Jun 16); National Women's Day (Aug 9); Heritage Day (Sep 24); Local Government Elections (Nov 4); Day of Reconciliation (Dec 16); Christmas Day (Dec 25); Day of Goodwill (Dec 26).

When is the next public holiday in South Africa?

Local Government Elections, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 — in 36 days.

How many working days are there in 2026?

250 working days, counting Monday to Friday and taking out the nationwide holidays that fall on working days. Regional holidays and company closures can lower it further.

What does "Day off in lieu" mean?

When a holiday falls on a weekend, the day off moves to a nearby working day, usually the following Monday. Those substitute days are listed separately.