January
1 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
South Africa 2026 Public Holidays
14 public holidays
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- Public holiday — A nationwide day off.
February
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
March
1 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
April
3 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
May
1 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
June
1 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
July
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
August
2 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
September
1 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
October
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
November
1 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
December
3 holidays
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
2026 Holiday List · South Africa
14 public holidays · regional, limited, and observance days included
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Public holiday | 1 January. In many countries the day off moves to the following Monday when it falls on a weekend. |
| Mar 21 | Saturday | Human Rights Day | Public holiday | |
| Apr 3 | Friday | Good Friday | Public holiday | The Friday before Easter Sunday. |
| Apr 6 | Monday | Family Day | Public holiday | Varies — the third Monday of February in several Canadian provinces. |
| Apr 27 | Monday | Freedom Day | Public holiday | |
| May 1 | Friday | Workers' Day | Public holiday | 1 May in most countries. |
| Jun 16 | Tuesday | Youth Day | Public holiday | Varies by country. |
| Aug 9 | Sunday | National Women's Day | Public holiday | |
| Aug 10 | Monday | Day off for National Women's Day | Public holiday | |
| Sep 24 | Thursday | Heritage Day | Public holiday | |
| Nov 4 | Wednesday | Local Government Elections | Public holiday | |
| Dec 16 | Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation | Public holiday | |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Public holiday | 25 December. The day off moves to the following weekday when it falls on a weekend. |
| Dec 26 | Saturday | Day of Goodwill | Public holiday |
Show 28 observances and other marked dates
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2 | Friday | Tweede Nuwe Jaar | Observance | |
| Jan 17 | Saturday | Isra and Mi'raj | Observance | 27 Rajab. |
| Feb 15 | Sunday | Maha Shivaratri | Observance | The fourteenth night of the dark fortnight of Phalguna, in February or March. |
| Feb 19 | Thursday | Ramadan Start | Observance | 1 Ramadan on the Hijri calendar. The Gregorian date shifts about eleven days earlier each year and is confirmed by moon sighting shortly before. |
| Feb 21 | Saturday | Armed Forces Day | Observance | Varies by country. |
| Mar 3 | Tuesday | Holi | Observance | The full moon of Phalguna, in February or March. |
| Mar 16 | Monday | Lailat al-Qadr | Observance | One of the last odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, most often 27 Ramadan. |
| Mar 20 | Friday | March Equinox | Observance | Around 20 March. |
| Mar 21 | Saturday | Eid ul Fitr | Observance | 1 Shawwal, the day after Ramadan ends. The date depends on a moon sighting and is often confirmed only a day or two in advance. |
| Apr 4 | Saturday | Holy Saturday | Observance | The Saturday before Easter Sunday. |
| Apr 5 | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Observance | The first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March, so the date moves between 22 March and 25 April. |
| May 10 | Sunday | Mother's Day | Observance | The second Sunday of May in most countries, but the date varies widely. |
| May 28 | Thursday | Eid al-Adha | Observance | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, about seventy days after Eid al-Fitr, confirmed by moon sighting. |
| Jun 17 | Wednesday | Muharram | Observance | 1 Muharram — the Islamic new year. |
| Jun 21 | Sunday | Father's Day | Observance | The third Sunday of June in most countries, but the date varies widely. |
| Jun 21 | Sunday | June Solstice | Observance | Around 21 June. |
| Jul 18 | Saturday | Nelson Mandela Day | Observance | |
| Aug 26 | Wednesday | Milad un Nabidate to be confirmed | Observance | 12 Rabi' al-Awwal — 17 Rabi' al-Awwal in the Shia tradition. |
| Aug 27 | Thursday | Raksha Bandhan | Observance | The full moon of Shravana, in August. |
| Sep 4 | Friday | Janmashtami | Observance | The eighth day of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada, in August or September. |
| Sep 14 | Monday | Ganesh Chaturthi | Observance | The fourth day of Bhadrapada, in August or September. |
| Sep 23 | Wednesday | September Equinox | Observance | Around 22 September. |
| Oct 11 | Sunday | Navaratri | Observance | |
| Oct 20 | Tuesday | Dussehra | Observance | The tenth day of Navaratri, in September or October. |
| Nov 8 | Sunday | Diwali | Observance | The new moon of Kartik on the Hindu lunisolar calendar, in October or November. |
| Dec 21 | Monday | December Solstice | Observance | Around 21 December. |
| Dec 24 | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Observance | 24 December. |
| Dec 31 | Thursday | New Year's Eve | Observance | 31 December. |
About these holidays
New Year's Day
1 January. In many countries the day off moves to the following Monday when it falls on a weekend.
The first day of the Gregorian calendar year, and the most widely observed public holiday in the world — a day off in almost every country that uses the Gregorian calendar, regardless of religion. Several countries extend the break to 2 January, and some in East Asia keep both the Gregorian and a separate lunar new year.
Good Friday
The Friday before Easter Sunday.
Commemorates the crucifixion, and is the most widely observed Christian public holiday after Christmas. Together with Easter Monday it produces a four-day weekend in much of Europe, the Commonwealth and Latin America. In several countries it also carries trading or entertainment restrictions beyond the day off itself.
Family Day
Varies — the third Monday of February in several Canadian provinces.
A mid-winter or spring holiday introduced to break up a long stretch without one. Observed in several Canadian provinces, South Africa and Vanuatu.
Workers' Day
1 May in most countries.
International Workers' Day, commemorating the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, and a public holiday in most of the world. The United States and Canada are the notable exceptions, holding their Labor Day in September instead.
Youth Day
Varies by country.
Honours young people, often on the anniversary of a student-led political event — the Soweto uprising in South Africa, the May Fourth Movement in China.
Christmas Day
25 December. The day off moves to the following weekday when it falls on a weekend.
The most widely observed public holiday after New Year's Day, a day off in the great majority of countries including many with no Christian majority, where it functions as a secular end-of-year holiday. Orthodox churches following the Julian calendar keep it on 7 January instead.
Official source: Google Calendar official holidays · timeanddate.com