Public holidays in South Africa, 2026
South Africa observes 13 public holidays in 2026. 2 of them land on a Saturday or Sunday, leaving 11 that actually cut into the working week.
13holidays listed
11fall on a weekday
2fall on a weekend
13distinct dates
Holidays by month, 2026
Calendar view, 2026
January
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
- 01 New Year's Day
February
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
March
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
- 21 Human Rights Day
April
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
- 03 Good Friday
- 06 Family Day
- 27 Freedom Day
May
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
- 01 Workers' Day
June
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
- 16 Youth Day
July
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
August
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
- 10 National Women's Day
September
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
- 24 Heritage Day
October
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
November
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
- 04 Election Day
December
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
- 16 Day of Reconciliation
- 25 Christmas Day
- 26 Day of Goodwill
Public holiday Today (2026-10-26) Weekend
Full list
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Local name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Thursday | New Year's Day | New Year's Day |
| 2026-03-21 | Saturday | Human Rights Day | Human Rights Day |
| 2026-04-03 | Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday |
| 2026-04-06 | Monday | Family Day | Family Day |
| 2026-04-27 | Monday | Freedom Day | Freedom Day |
| 2026-05-01 | Friday | Workers' Day | Workers' Day |
| 2026-06-16 | Tuesday | Youth Day | Youth Day |
| 2026-08-10 | Monday | National Women's Day | National Women's Day |
| 2026-09-24 | Thursday | Heritage Day | Heritage Day |
| 2026-11-04 | Wednesday | Election Day | Election Day |
| 2026-12-16 | Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation | Day of Reconciliation |
| 2026-12-25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Christmas Day |
| 2026-12-26 | Saturday | Day of Goodwill | St. Stephen's Day |
Planning notes for 2026
Saturday and Sunday form the standard weekend here. Where a holiday sits next to a weekend, expect offices and banks to run short staff on the days in between.
Other years: 2025 2027. Country overview: South Africa holidays hub. Count business days with the working days calculator.