South Africa Public Holidays
There are 13 nationwide public holidays in South Africa this year. This hub gives you the current calendar plus every year we cover, so you can jump straight to the dates you need. Each year page lists holidays with their exact date and weekday, and we stick to national holidays only for a clean, comparable view of South Africa.
Choose a year
Open the full public holiday table for South Africa.
South Africa holidays in 2026
National public holidays for the current year, sorted by date.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1, 2026 | Thursday |
| Human Rights Day | March 21, 2026 | SaturdayWeekend |
| Good Friday | April 3, 2026 | Friday |
| Family Day | April 6, 2026 | Monday |
| Freedom Day | April 27, 2026 | Monday |
| Workers' Day | May 1, 2026 | Friday |
| Youth Day | June 16, 2026 | Tuesday |
| National Women's Day | August 9, 2026 | SundayWeekend |
| Public Holiday | August 10, 2026 | Monday |
| Heritage Day | September 24, 2026 | Thursday |
| Day of Reconciliation | December 16, 2026 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday |
| Day of Goodwill | December 26, 2026 | SaturdayWeekend |
Looking for another year? See South Africa 2025, South Africa 2026 or South Africa 2027.
About public holidays in South Africa
Public holidays shape the working year in South Africa, closing many offices, banks and public services and shifting the rhythm of travel and shopping. Knowing the dates ahead of time helps with planning meetings across borders, arranging deliveries and choosing when to take time off. The 2026 calendar above shows the national holidays that apply across the whole country, with the exact date and the weekday each one falls on.
Some holidays are fixed to the same calendar date every year, while others move, for example those tied to a particular weekday or to a lunar or religious calendar. That is why the dates shift from one year to the next, and why it is worth checking the specific year you are planning for. HolidayGrid keeps a separate page for each year so the dates are always the right ones for South Africa, first 2025, then 2026 and 2027. As always, confirm official dates with a local authority before you commit to travel or contracts.