Public Holidays in South Africa in 2026
Complete list of official public holidays and observances
Managing staff leave around these holidays?
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Official Public Holidays
13 holidays in South Africa for 2026
| 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 | Thursday | Nationwide |
|
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
March 21 | Saturday | Nationwide |
|
Good Friday
Good Friday is a global Christian observance two days before Easter Sunday.
|
April 03 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Family Day
Family Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
April 06 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Freedom Day
Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
April 27 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Workers' Day
Labor Day, International Workers' Day, and May Day, is a day off for workers in many countries ar...
|
May 01 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Youth Day
Youth Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
June 16 | Tuesday | Nationwide |
|
National Women's Day
National Women's Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
August 09 | Sunday | Nationwide |
|
Day off for National Women's Day
National Women's Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
August 10 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Heritage Day
Heritage Day is a public holiday in South Africa
|
September 24 | Thursday | Nationwide |
|
Day of Reconciliation
Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa
|
December 16 | Wednesday | Nationwide |
|
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is one of the biggest Christian celebrations and falls on December 25 in the Gregor...
|
December 25 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Day of Goodwill
Day of Goodwill is a public holiday in South Africa
|
December 26 | Saturday | 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%.
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Compliance Made Easy
- Built-in compliance tracking ensures you meet local employment laws and holiday entitlements.
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Team Visibility
- Everyone sees who's off when, preventing scheduling conflicts and ensuring adequate coverage.
Trusted by HR teams worldwide
"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."
How It Works
Simple, powerful leave management in four steps
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
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
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
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
Ready to streamline your leave management?
Join hundreds of HR teams who've eliminated spreadsheet chaos and saved hours every week with Leavetrack.
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. These holidays are established by the government and are observed nationwide, providing citizens with the opportunity to celebrate significant historical events and cultural traditions. South Africa recognizes 12 public holidays, including New Year's Day, Human Rights Day, and Freedom Day, among others. Understanding public holidays is essential for effective absence management and staff leave planning within businesses, ensuring compliance with labor laws and promoting employee well-being. For more information on public holidays in South Africa, you can visit the official government website at Public Holidays - South African Government.