Public Holidays in South Africa 2026
HolidaysMap lists 13 public holidays for South Africa in 2026, which can include holidays observed only in some regions. The first is New Year's Day on Thursday, 1 January 2026 and the last is Day of Goodwill on Saturday, 26 December 2026.
South Africa public holidays 2026 calendar
| Date | Day | Holiday | In 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | |||
| Thursday | New Year's Day | Friday, 1 January | |
| March | |||
| Saturday | Human Rights Day | Sunday, 21 March | |
| April | |||
| Friday | Good Friday | Friday, 26 March | |
| Monday | Family Day | Monday, 29 March | |
| Monday | Freedom Day | Tuesday, 27 April | |
| May | |||
| Friday | Workers' Day | Saturday, 1 May | |
| June | |||
| Tuesday | Youth Day | Wednesday, 16 June | |
| August | |||
| Sunday | National Women's Day | Monday, 9 August | |
| Monday | National Women's Day Observed | — | |
| September | |||
| Thursday | Heritage Day | Friday, 24 September | |
| December | |||
| Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation | Thursday, 16 December | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | Saturday, 25 December | |
| Saturday | Day of Goodwill | Sunday, 26 December | |
Weekends and long weekends in 2026
3 of the 13 public holidays in South Africa fall on a Saturday or Sunday in 2026: Human Rights Day, National Women's Day, Day of Goodwill. 6 fall on a Monday or Friday, which makes a three-day weekend where the weekend is Saturday and Sunday: Good Friday, Family Day, Freedom Day, Workers' Day, National Women's Day Observed, Christmas Day.
Frequently asked questions
- How many public holidays are there in South Africa in 2026?
- HolidaysMap lists 13 public holidays for South Africa in 2026. The list can include holidays observed only in some regions or states.
- What is the first public holiday in South Africa in 2026?
- The first public holiday in South Africa in 2026 is New Year's Day on Thursday, 1 January 2026.
- Which South Africa public holidays in 2026 fall on a weekend?
- 3 public holidays in South Africa in 2026 fall on a Saturday or Sunday: Human Rights Day, National Women's Day, Day of Goodwill.
- Where can I get South Africa public holiday data for my app?
- The HolidaysMap public holidays API returns South Africa holidays as JSON, CSV or XML. Create a free account, copy your API key and query the /api/v1/holidays endpoint.
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Other countries in 2026:
Need this data in your app?
Get South Africa public holidays as JSON, CSV or XML with the HolidaysMap API. It covers 195+ countries, starts free and paid plans begin at €3/month. Read the documentation or learn how to check if a date is a public holiday with an API.
Dates are based on HolidaysMap data. The list can include holidays that are observed only in some regions or states of a country, so confirm important dates with your government's official calendar.