13 holiday dates and 1 substitute day off in 2026; 11 of these 14 days fall on a weekday. Public holidays under the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
South Africa public holidays 2026
Date
Holiday
Thursday 1 January
New Year's Day
Saturday 21 March
Human Rights Day
Friday 3 April
Good Friday
Monday 6 April
Family Day
Monday 27 April
Freedom Day
Friday 1 May
Workers' Day
Tuesday 16 June
Youth Day
Sunday 9 August
National Women's Day
Monday 10 August
National Women's Day day off in lieu
Thursday 24 September
Heritage Day
Wednesday 4 November
Local Government Elections
Wednesday 16 December
Day of Reconciliation
Friday 25 December
Christmas Day
Saturday 26 December
Day of Goodwill
The year's first holiday is New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January; the last is Day of Goodwill on Saturday 26 December. Today's status and a countdown to the next holiday are on the South Africa holidays page. Other years: 2027.
Long weekends in 2026
4 days: Friday 3 April – Monday 6 April (Good Friday, Family Day)
3 days: Saturday 25 April – Monday 27 April (Freedom Day)
3 days: Friday 1 May – Sunday 3 May (Workers' Day)
3 days: Saturday 8 August – Monday 10 August (National Women's Day)
3 days: Friday 25 December – Sunday 27 December (Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill)
Bridge days
Taking one working day off turns these into longer breaks:
Take Friday 2 January off → 4 days, Thursday 1 January – Sunday 4 January (New Year's Day)
Take Monday 15 June off → 4 days, Saturday 13 June – Tuesday 16 June (Youth Day)
Take Friday 25 September off → 4 days, Thursday 24 September – Sunday 27 September (Heritage Day)
Counted with Saturday and Sunday as the weekend and only the national holidays listed here; regional holidays can make more breaks.
Calendar
Holidays are red and underlined; days off in lieu have a dotted underline. The first column is the ISO week number.
January 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
1
1
2
3
4
2
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
3
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
4
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
5
26
27
28
29
30
31
February 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
5
1
6
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
8
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
9
23
24
25
26
27
28
March 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
9
1
10
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
12
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
13
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
14
30
31
April 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
14
1
2
3
4
5
15
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
16
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
17
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
18
27
28
29
30
May 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
18
1
2
3
19
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
20
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
21
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
22
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
June 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
23
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
24
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
25
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
26
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
27
29
30
July 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
27
1
2
3
4
5
28
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
29
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
30
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
31
27
28
29
30
31
August 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
31
1
2
32
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
33
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
34
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
35
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
36
31
September 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
36
1
2
3
4
5
6
37
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
38
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
39
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
40
28
29
30
October 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
40
1
2
3
4
41
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
42
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
43
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
44
26
27
28
29
30
31
November 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
44
1
45
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
46
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
47
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
48
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
49
30
December 2026
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
49
1
2
3
4
5
6
50
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
51
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
52
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
53
28
29
30
31
For reference only — governments can add, move or cancel holidays at short notice. Confirm with the official source: South African Government — Public holidays. Data: the open-source holidays library (MIT), spot-checked against official 2026 calendars.