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.

2020 holidays

← 2019 Back to 2026 2021 →

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

New Year's Day01 Jan 2020 · Wednesday
Human Rights Day21 Mar 2020 · SaturdayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
Good Friday10 Apr 2020 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Family Day13 Apr 2020 · MondayEnds a long weekend.
Freedom Day27 Apr 2020 · MondayEnds a long weekend.
Workers' Day01 May 2020 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Youth Day16 Jun 2020 · Tuesday
National Women's Day09 Aug 2020 · SundayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
National Women's Day (observed)10 Aug 2020 · MondayEnds a long weekend.Moved from Sunday
Heritage Day24 Sept 2020 · Thursday
Day of Reconciliation16 Dec 2020 · Wednesday
Christmas Day25 Dec 2020 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Day of Goodwill26 Dec 2020 · SaturdayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.

Date	Day	Holiday
01 Jan 2020	Wednesday	New Year's Day
21 Mar 2020	Saturday	Human Rights DayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
10 Apr 2020	Friday	Good FridayStarts a long weekend.
13 Apr 2020	Monday	Family DayEnds a long weekend.
27 Apr 2020	Monday	Freedom DayEnds a long weekend.
01 May 2020	Friday	Workers' DayStarts a long weekend.
16 Jun 2020	Tuesday	Youth Day
09 Aug 2020	Sunday	National Women's DayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
10 Aug 2020	Monday	National Women's Day (observed)Moved from SundayEnds a long weekend.
24 Sept 2020	Thursday	Heritage Day
16 Dec 2020	Wednesday	Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec 2020	Friday	Christmas DayStarts a long weekend.
26 Dec 2020	Saturday	Day of GoodwillFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.

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

2020 holidays

More in Dates, weather & planning