Public Holidays in South Africa in 2025

Complete list of official public holidays and observances

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Official Public Holidays

13 holidays in South Africa for 2025

South Africa flag
Holiday Date Day Applies To
New Year's Day
New Year’s Day is celebrated with a blend of both diversity and tradition in countries such as So...
January 01 Wednesday Nationwide
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is a public holiday in South Africa
March 21 Friday Nationwide
Good Friday
Good Friday is a global Christian observance two days before Easter Sunday.
April 18 Friday Nationwide
Family Day
Family Day is a public holiday in South Africa
April 21 Monday Nationwide
Freedom Day
Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa
April 27 Sunday Nationwide
Freedom Day observed
Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa
April 28 Monday Nationwide
Workers' Day
Labor Day, International Workers' Day, and May Day, is a day off for workers in many countries ar...
May 01 Thursday Nationwide
Youth Day
Youth Day is a public holiday in South Africa
June 16 Monday Nationwide
National Women's Day
National Women's Day is a public holiday in South Africa
August 09 Saturday Nationwide
Heritage Day
Heritage Day is a public holiday in South Africa
September 24 Wednesday Nationwide
Day of Reconciliation
Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa
December 16 Tuesday Nationwide
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is one of the biggest Christian celebrations and falls on December 25 in the Gregor...
December 25 Thursday Nationwide
Day of Goodwill
Day of Goodwill is a public holiday in South Africa
December 26 Friday Nationwide

Legal Notice: This information is for guidance only and should not be considered legal advice. Always validate with local authorities or legal practitioners in South Africa.

Why HR Teams Choose Leavetrack

Everything you need for seamless leave management

Automatic Public Holiday Import
All public holidays for South Africa and 180+ other countries automatically loaded. No manual data entry required.
Save 5+ Hours Per Week
Eliminate manual leave calculations and reduce administrative overhead by up to 80%.
Compliance Made Easy
Built-in compliance tracking ensures you meet local employment laws and holiday entitlements.
Team Visibility
Everyone sees who's off when, preventing scheduling conflicts and ensuring adequate coverage.

Trusted by HR teams worldwide

160,478
Absences managed
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Employees using Leavetrack
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Average customer rating

"With a team of over 50 employees, keeping track of absences and holidays using a paper based system used to be time consuming and prone to errors. Since introducing Leavetrack, the whole process has become a lot simpler and easier."

Cynthia Fisher
Commercial Director, Intatec Limited

How It Works

Simple, powerful leave management in four steps

1

Employees Request Leave

Simple, intuitive interface lets employees request time off in seconds. Public holidays are automatically excluded from calculations.

  • Book leave in under 30 seconds
  • See available leave balance instantly
  • Mobile-friendly for on-the-go requests
2

Managers Approve Instantly

Managers see all request details including conflicts with public holidays and other team members' leave.

  • Approve/reject directly from email
  • See team coverage at a glance
  • Complete audit trail of decisions
3

Plan Team Coverage

Beautiful visual calendar shows exactly who's off when, including public holidays, so you can plan optimal team coverage.

  • Color-coded wall chart
  • Filter by department or team
  • Spot conflicts before they happen
4

Generate Reports

Comprehensive reporting gives you insights into leave patterns, costs, and compliance - all exportable to Excel.

  • Full audit trail of all leave
  • Export to CSV for further analysis
  • Track entitlements and accruals

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About Public Holidays in South Africa

Public holidays in South Africa are designated days when employees are entitled to take leave from work without losing pay. The country recognizes several public holidays, including New Year's Day, Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Workers' Day, and Heritage Day, among others. These holidays are established by the South African government and are observed nationwide, providing citizens with the opportunity to celebrate cultural, historical, and social milestones. It is essential for businesses to effectively manage staff leave during these periods to ensure smooth operations while allowing employees to enjoy their well-deserved time off.