Dates & holidays

South African public holidays

Check statutory public holidays and known proclaimed additions, including the Sunday-to-Monday rule. Spot long weekends for a Monday-to-Friday work week.

2016 holidays

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Long-weekend notes assume a Monday-to-Friday work week.

New Year's Day01 Jan 2016 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Human Rights Day21 Mar 2016 · MondayEnds a long weekend.
Good Friday25 Mar 2016 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Family Day28 Mar 2016 · MondayEnds a long weekend.
Freedom Day27 Apr 2016 · Wednesday
Workers' Day01 May 2016 · SundayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
Workers' Day (observed)02 May 2016 · MondayEnds a long weekend.Moved from Sunday
Youth Day16 Jun 2016 · Thursday
National Women's Day09 Aug 2016 · Tuesday
Heritage Day24 Sept 2016 · SaturdayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
Day of Reconciliation16 Dec 2016 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Christmas Day25 Dec 2016 · SundayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
Christmas Day (observed)26 Dec 2016 · MondayEnds a long weekend.Moved from Sunday
Day of Goodwill26 Dec 2016 · MondayEnds a long weekend.

Date	Day	Holiday
01 Jan 2016	Friday	New Year's DayStarts a long weekend.
21 Mar 2016	Monday	Human Rights DayEnds a long weekend.
25 Mar 2016	Friday	Good FridayStarts a long weekend.
28 Mar 2016	Monday	Family DayEnds a long weekend.
27 Apr 2016	Wednesday	Freedom Day
01 May 2016	Sunday	Workers' DayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
02 May 2016	Monday	Workers' Day (observed)Moved from SundayEnds a long weekend.
16 Jun 2016	Thursday	Youth Day
09 Aug 2016	Tuesday	National Women's Day
24 Sept 2016	Saturday	Heritage DayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
16 Dec 2016	Friday	Day of ReconciliationStarts a long weekend.
25 Dec 2016	Sunday	Christmas DayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
26 Dec 2016	Monday	Christmas Day (observed)Moved from SundayEnds a long weekend.
26 Dec 2016	Monday	Day of GoodwillEnds a long weekend.

Next public holidayLocal Government Elections04 Nov 2026 · in 20 days

Falls on a: Wednesday

Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994

Where this comes from, and what it doesn't cover

Statutory dates plus known proclaimed additions, checked through 22 Sept 2026. The list includes the declared holiday on 4 November 2026. It does not promise a complete history of one-off holidays.

The ten holidays with fixed dates come from the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994, and so does the rule that makes the Monday a holiday too when one falls on a Sunday. Good Friday and Family Day move with Easter, so we work those out using the same rule the Christian calendar uses. The Act started on 1 January 1995, so the year picker starts there. A Saturday public holiday does not create an extra Monday holiday under this Act.

What this doesn't work out on its own: the President can declare an extra public holiday, usually an election day. There's no rule behind those, so we can't predict one before it's announced — but once the government has officially declared a date, we add it here as its own checked entry. If there's an election coming and it isn't listed above yet, check the government's own holidays page.

South African public holidays

2016 holidays

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