Public Holidays in South Africa 2026 – National & Public Holidays

South Africa’s public holidays in 2026 are governed primarily by the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. The statutory calendar contains 12 named public holidays, while the Sunday-observation rule creates an additional nationwide public-holiday date in 2026 because National Women’s Day falls on a Sunday. The schedule below is maintained through the VisaBoards public-holiday database.

Next Public Holiday in South Africa

Date	Day	Holiday	Status
September 24, 2026	Thursday	Heritage Day	Confirmed

Public Holidays in South Africa 2026

Date	Day	Holiday	Status
January 1, 2026	Thursday	New Year’s Day	Confirmed
March 21, 2026	Saturday	Human Rights Day	Confirmed
April 3, 2026	Friday	Good Friday	Confirmed
April 6, 2026	Monday	Family Day	Confirmed
April 27, 2026	Monday	Freedom Day	Confirmed
May 1, 2026	Friday	Workers' Day	Confirmed
June 16, 2026	Tuesday	Youth Day	Confirmed
August 9, 2026	Sunday	National Women’s Day	Confirmed
August 10, 2026	Monday	Public holiday National Women’s Day observed	Confirmed
September 24, 2026	Thursday	Heritage Day	Confirmed
December 16, 2026	Wednesday	Day of Reconciliation	Confirmed
December 25, 2026	Friday	Christmas Day	Confirmed
December 26, 2026	Saturday	Day of Goodwill	Confirmed

How South Africa’s Public Holiday System Works

South Africa’s statutory public holidays are established by the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. Schedule 1 of the Act lists New Year’s Day, Human Rights Day, Good Friday, Family Day, Freedom Day, Workers’ Day, Youth Day, National Women’s Day, Heritage Day, Day of Reconciliation, Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill.

Most of these holidays have fixed calendar dates. Good Friday and Family Day move each year because they are determined in relation to Easter. The South African Government has officially listed Good Friday on 3 April and Family Day on 6 April for 2026.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Sunday?

South Africa has a specific statutory rule for public holidays that fall on a Sunday. When a public holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday.

This rule applies to National Women’s Day in 2026. National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August, so Monday, 10 August is also an official public holiday.

The Act does not provide the same automatic Monday holiday when a public holiday falls on Saturday. This means a Saturday public holiday does not, by itself, create an additional Monday public holiday.

Long Weekends in South Africa in 2026

Several confirmed public holidays create useful long weekends for people who normally have Saturday and Sunday off.

• 3–6 April: Good Friday and Family Day create a four-day Easter weekend from Friday through Monday.
• 25–27 April: Freedom Day falls on Monday, creating a three-day weekend.
• 1–3 May: Workers’ Day falls on Friday, creating a three-day weekend.
• 8–10 August: National Women’s Day falls on Sunday and Monday, 10 August is also a public holiday, creating a three-day weekend.
• 25–27 December: Christmas Day falls on Friday and Day of Goodwill falls on Saturday, creating a three-day Christmas weekend for a typical Monday-to-Friday worker.

These examples assume a conventional Monday-to-Friday work pattern. Individual working schedules may differ.

Are Public Holidays Paid in South Africa?

South African employment legislation provides rules for payment and work on public holidays. Under section 18 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, an employee covered by the relevant provisions may not ordinarily be required to work on a public holiday unless this is agreed.

Where a public holiday falls on a day an employee would ordinarily work, the Act provides for payment even when the employee does not work. It also establishes enhanced payment rules when an employee works on the public holiday. The precise application of these rules can depend on the employee’s circumstances, employment agreement, earnings level and other applicable employment provisions.

The Public Holidays Act also allows a public holiday to be exchanged for another day where this is agreed between the employer and employee.

Can South Africa Declare Additional Public Holidays?

Yes. In addition to the statutory holidays listed in the Public Holidays Act, the President may proclaim another day as a public holiday throughout South Africa or in part of the country. This power was added by the Public Holidays Amendment Act 48 of 1995.

South Africa has used this mechanism for special one-off public holidays, including election days. A special event or election date should therefore not automatically be treated as a public holiday unless the required proclamation has been made.

Is 4 November 2026 a Public Holiday for the Local Government Elections?

Wednesday, 4 November 2026 has been formally set as the date of South Africa’s Local Government Elections. The election date itself has been proclaimed and gazetted.

Public-holiday status is a separate legal step. The existing official 2026 public-holiday calendar does not currently include 4 November among the confirmed public holidays. Although the Electoral Commission has indicated that election day is expected to be designated a public holiday, it should be treated separately from the confirmed statutory calendar until the required presidential public-holiday proclamation is issued.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nationwide public-holiday dates are confirmed in South Africa in 2026?

The current official government calendar contains 13 nationwide public-holiday dates in 2026. South Africa has 12 statutory named public holidays, but National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August, so Monday, 10 August is also a public holiday.

What is the next public holiday in South Africa?

The next public holiday changes throughout the year. Use the Next Public Holiday section near the top of this page for the current holiday name, date and countdown.

Does South Africa give a substitute holiday when a public holiday falls on Sunday?

Yes. The Public Holidays Act provides that when a public holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday.

Does a Saturday public holiday move to Monday in South Africa?

No automatic Monday public holiday is created simply because a statutory public holiday falls on Saturday. The automatic additional-day rule in the Public Holidays Act specifically applies when a public holiday falls on Sunday.

Why is 10 August 2026 a public holiday?

National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August 2026. Under the Public Holidays Act, the following Monday is also a public holiday, making Monday, 10 August an official public-holiday date.

Are Good Friday and Family Day on the same dates every year?

No. Good Friday and Family Day are linked to Easter and therefore move from year to year. For 2026, the South African Government has officially scheduled Good Friday for 3 April and Family Day for 6 April.

Are South African public holidays paid?

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act contains payment rules for public holidays and regulates work performed on those days for employees to whom the relevant provisions apply. Work on a public holiday is generally subject to agreement, and enhanced payment rules can apply when an employee works on a public holiday.

Can the President declare an extra public holiday?

Yes. Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, inserted by the Public Holidays Amendment Act 48 of 1995, allows the President to declare an additional public holiday by proclamation in the Government Gazette.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in South Africa

• South African Government Public holidays in South Africa: official 2026 holiday dates and the rule applying when a public holiday falls on Sunday.
• Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994: statutory public-holiday calendar, Sunday observation rule and framework governing public holidays.
• Public Holidays Amendment Act 48 of 1995: authority for the President to declare additional public holidays by proclamation.
• Department of Employment and Labour — Basic Conditions of Employment Act: rules concerning work and payment on public holidays.
• Government and Electoral Commission announcements: official information concerning the 2026 Local Government Elections and the 4 November election date.