12 holiday dates and 2 substitute days off in 2027; 10 of these 14 days fall on a weekday. Public holidays under the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
South Africa public holidays 2027
Date
Holiday
Friday 1 January
New Year's Day
Sunday 21 March
Human Rights Day
Monday 22 March
Human Rights Day day off in lieu
Friday 26 March
Good Friday
Monday 29 March
Family Day
Tuesday 27 April
Freedom Day
Saturday 1 May
Workers' Day
Wednesday 16 June
Youth Day
Monday 9 August
National Women's Day
Friday 24 September
Heritage Day
Thursday 16 December
Day of Reconciliation
Saturday 25 December
Christmas Day
Sunday 26 December
Day of Goodwill
Monday 27 December
Day of Goodwill day off in lieu
The year's first holiday is New Year's Day on Friday 1 January; the last is Day of Goodwill on Sunday 26 December. Today's status and a countdown to the next holiday are on the South Africa holidays page. Other years: 2026.
Long weekends in 2027
3 days: Friday 1 January – Sunday 3 January (New Year's Day)
3 days: Saturday 20 March – Monday 22 March (Human Rights Day)
4 days: Friday 26 March – Monday 29 March (Good Friday, Family Day)
3 days: Saturday 7 August – Monday 9 August (National Women's Day)
3 days: Friday 24 September – Sunday 26 September (Heritage Day)
3 days: Saturday 25 December – Monday 27 December (Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill)
Bridge days
Taking one working day off turns these into longer breaks:
Take Monday 26 April off → 4 days, Saturday 24 April – Tuesday 27 April (Freedom Day)
Take Friday 17 December off → 4 days, Thursday 16 December – Sunday 19 December (Day of Reconciliation)
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 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
53
1
2
3
1
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
3
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
4
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
February 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
6
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
7
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
8
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
March 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
11
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
12
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
13
29
30
31
April 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
13
1
2
3
4
14
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
15
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
16
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
17
26
27
28
29
30
May 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
17
1
2
18
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
19
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
20
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
21
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
22
31
June 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
22
1
2
3
4
5
6
23
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
24
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
25
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
26
28
29
30
July 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
26
1
2
3
4
27
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
28
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
29
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
30
26
27
28
29
30
31
August 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
30
1
31
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
32
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
33
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
34
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
35
30
31
September 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
35
1
2
3
4
5
36
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
37
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
38
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
39
27
28
29
30
October 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
39
1
2
3
40
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
41
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
42
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
43
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
November 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
44
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
45
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
46
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
47
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
48
29
30
December 2027
Wk
Mo
Tu
We
Th
Fr
Sa
Su
48
1
2
3
4
5
49
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
50
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
51
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
52
27
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.