Public Holidays in South Africa (2026)
South Africa has 13 public holidays in 2026 (13 nationwide) and 250 working days (Monday to Friday, excluding nationwide holidays), based on the Nager.Date open holiday database.
South Africa observes 13 public holidays in 2026. The table below lists every holiday with its local name and whether it applies nationwide.
| Date | Holiday | Local name | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 1, 2026 | New Year's Day | Nationwide | |
| Saturday, March 21, 2026 | Human Rights Day | Nationwide | |
| Friday, April 3, 2026 | Good Friday | Nationwide | |
| Monday, April 6, 2026 | Family Day | Nationwide | |
| Monday, April 27, 2026 | Freedom Day | Nationwide | |
| Friday, May 1, 2026 | Workers' Day | Nationwide | |
| Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | Youth Day | Nationwide | |
| Monday, August 10, 2026 | National Women's Day | Nationwide | |
| Thursday, September 24, 2026 | Heritage Day | Nationwide | |
| Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | Election Day | Nationwide | |
| Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | Day of Reconciliation | Nationwide | |
| Friday, December 25, 2026 | Christmas Day | Nationwide | |
| Saturday, December 26, 2026 | Day of Goodwill | St. Stephen's Day | Nationwide |
Working days per month in 2026 (Mon–Fri excluding nationwide holidays)
| Month | Working days |
|---|---|
| January | 21 |
| February | 20 |
| March | 22 |
| April | 19 |
| May | 20 |
| June | 21 |
| July | 23 |
| August | 20 |
| September | 21 |
| October | 22 |
| November | 20 |
| December | 21 |
2027 holidays preview
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday, January 1, 2027 | New Year's Day |
| Monday, March 22, 2027 | Human Rights Day |
| Friday, March 26, 2027 | Good Friday |
| Monday, March 29, 2027 | Family Day |
| Tuesday, April 27, 2027 | Freedom Day |
| Saturday, May 1, 2027 | Workers' Day |
| Wednesday, June 16, 2027 | Youth Day |
| Monday, August 9, 2027 | National Women's Day |
| Friday, September 24, 2027 | Heritage Day |
| Thursday, December 16, 2027 | Day of Reconciliation |
| Saturday, December 25, 2027 | Christmas Day |
| Monday, December 27, 2027 | Day of Goodwill |
Note: weekend days are assumed to be Saturday and Sunday; some countries use different weekends. Regional holidays may not apply everywhere. Source: Nager.Date open holiday database. Verify critical dates with official government sources.
How this data is collected: Holidays are fetched daily from the Nager.Date public holiday API. Working days are counted as Monday to Friday minus the holidays marked nationwide; regional holidays and non-Saturday/Sunday weekends are not subtracted. Last checked .