🇿🇦South Africa 2026 Public Holidays
Complete list of South Africa’s public holidays for 2026, including regional holidays, bank holidays, and key celebrations.
Holidays
Total 17 Holidays
| Holiday Name | Date | Countdown | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | 267 days ago | Public Holidays |
Human Rights Day | 2026-03-21 | 188 days ago | Public Holidays |
Good Friday | 2026-04-03 | 175 days ago | Public Holidays |
Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | 173 days ago | Memorial Days |
Family Day | 2026-04-06 | 172 days ago | Public Holidays |
Freedom Day | 2026-04-27 | 151 days ago | Public Holidays |
Workers' Day | 2026-05-01 | 147 days ago | Public Holidays |
Mother's Day | 2026-05-10 | 138 days ago | Memorial Days |
Youth Day | 2026-06-16 | 101 days ago | Public Holidays |
Father's Day | 2026-06-21 | 96 days ago | Memorial Days |
Nelson Mandela Day | 2026-07-18 | 69 days ago | Memorial Days |
National Women's Day | 2026-08-09 | 47 days ago | Public Holidays |
Public Holiday | 2026-08-10 | 46 days ago | Public Holidays |
Heritage Day | 2026-09-24 | Yesterday | Public Holidays |
Day of Reconciliation | 2026-12-16 | 82 days remaining | Public Holidays |
Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | 91 days remaining | Public Holidays |
Day of Goodwill | 2026-12-26 | 92 days remaining | Public Holidays |
South Africa Public Holidays: An Overview
This page summarises the patterns behind South Africa's public holidays from year to year. If you just want the full list of dates for one year, choose that year from the navigation below.
2025–2027: A Three-Year Comparison
The number of public holidays, and the time off they actually translate into, varies from one year to the next. The table below is worked out directly from each year's holiday dates.
| Year | Holidays | Long weekends | Bridge days | At the weekend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2026 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 2027 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
Holidays that shift each year
3 of South Africa's public holidays land on a different date each year, following a lunar calendar, a religious calendar or a rule such as “the third Monday in January”. These are the ones to watch when you plan ahead:
- Good Friday: 2025-04-18, 2025 · 2026-04-03, 2026 · 2027-03-26, 2027
- Family Day: 2025-04-21, 2025 · 2026-04-06, 2026 · 2027-03-29, 2027
- Public Holiday: 2025-04-28, 2025 · 2026-08-10, 2026 · 2027-03-22, 2027
A further 10 holidays keep the same date every year and aren't affected by these rules.