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.

2021 holidays

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

New Year's Day01 Jan 2021 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Human Rights Day21 Mar 2021 · SundayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
Human Rights Day (observed)22 Mar 2021 · MondayEnds a long weekend.Moved from Sunday
Good Friday02 Apr 2021 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Family Day05 Apr 2021 · MondayEnds a long weekend.
Freedom Day27 Apr 2021 · Tuesday
Workers' Day01 May 2021 · SaturdayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
Youth Day16 Jun 2021 · Wednesday
National Women's Day09 Aug 2021 · MondayEnds a long weekend.
Heritage Day24 Sept 2021 · FridayStarts a long weekend.
Day of Reconciliation16 Dec 2021 · Thursday
Christmas Day25 Dec 2021 · SaturdayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
Day of Goodwill26 Dec 2021 · SundayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
Day of Goodwill (observed)27 Dec 2021 · MondayEnds a long weekend.Moved from Sunday

Date	Day	Holiday
01 Jan 2021	Friday	New Year's DayStarts a long weekend.
21 Mar 2021	Sunday	Human Rights DayFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
22 Mar 2021	Monday	Human Rights Day (observed)Moved from SundayEnds a long weekend.
02 Apr 2021	Friday	Good FridayStarts a long weekend.
05 Apr 2021	Monday	Family DayEnds a long weekend.
27 Apr 2021	Tuesday	Freedom Day
01 May 2021	Saturday	Workers' DayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
16 Jun 2021	Wednesday	Youth Day
09 Aug 2021	Monday	National Women's DayEnds a long weekend.
24 Sept 2021	Friday	Heritage DayStarts a long weekend.
16 Dec 2021	Thursday	Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec 2021	Saturday	Christmas DayFalls on Saturday — the Act does not add a Monday holiday.
26 Dec 2021	Sunday	Day of GoodwillFalls on Sunday — the Act also makes Monday a public holiday.
27 Dec 2021	Monday	Day of Goodwill (observed)Moved from SundayEnds 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

2021 holidays

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