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South Africa holidays 2026
How many public holidays does South Africa get in 2026? There are 12 nationwide holidays. The year opens with New Year's Day (January 1, a Thursday) and closes with St. Stephen's Day (December 26). The full table is below.
Every South Africa holiday in 2026
| Date | Weekday | Local name | English name | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day | New Year's Day | Nationwide |
| March 21 | Saturday | Human Rights Day | Human Rights Day | Nationwide |
| April 3 | Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday | Nationwide |
| April 6 | Monday | Family Day | Family Day | Nationwide |
| April 27 | Monday | Freedom Day | Freedom Day | Nationwide |
| May 1 | Friday | Workers' Day | Workers' Day | Nationwide |
| June 16 | Tuesday | Youth Day | Youth Day | Nationwide |
| August 10 | Monday | National Women's Day | National Women's Day | Nationwide |
| September 24 | Thursday | Heritage Day | Heritage Day | Nationwide |
| December 16 | Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation | Day of Reconciliation | Nationwide |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Nationwide |
| December 26 | Saturday | St. Stephen's Day | Day of Goodwill | Nationwide |
Long weekends in 2026: 6 built in
- Good Friday (Good Friday) falls on a Friday, April 3: three days off in a row.
- Family Day (Family Day) falls on a Monday, April 6: three days off in a row.
- Freedom Day (Freedom Day) falls on a Monday, April 27: three days off in a row.
- Workers' Day (Workers' Day) falls on a Friday, May 1: three days off in a row.
- National Women's Day (National Women's Day) falls on a Monday, August 10: three days off in a row.
- Christmas Day (Christmas Day) falls on a Friday, December 25: three days off in a row.
On top of those, 3 dates land on a Tuesday or Thursday (New Year's Day, January 1; Youth Day, June 16; Heritage Day, September 24): one bridge day turns each into a four day break.
What makes the South Africa calendar unique
Every country celebrates some New Year; the South Africa signature lives in the other dates: National Women's Day (National Women's Day, August 10), found in no other country in the dataset; Day of Reconciliation (Day of Reconciliation, December 16), found in no other country in the dataset; Human Rights Day (Human Rights Day, March 21), shared with a single other country. The longest dry spell of the year runs from Heritage Day (September 24) to Day of Reconciliation (December 16): 83 straight days without a single nationwide holiday. In 2027, there will be 12 nationwide holidays and National Women's Day will fall on a Monday (August 9).
Source: Nager.Date (MIT), snapshot of 2026-07-09. Regional and municipal holidays vary by state, province and city and may not appear here; movable dates and last minute decrees also reshape the calendar. Check the local official gazette before planning travel or payroll.
Last updated: · Methodology and sources