Public holidays in

South Africa

A list of current public holidays in South Africa:[1]

In gold, the National Day

 Date Name Instituted Comments

1 January New Year's Day 1910

Human Rights Commemorates the Sharpeville massacre of

21 March 1990[2]
Day 1960.[3]

The Friday
before Easter Good Friday 1910
Sunday

The Monday
following Family Day 1980
Easter Sunday

27 April Freedom Day 1995[2] First democratic election held (in 1994)

1 May Workers' Day 1995[4]

Commemorates the Soweto uprising led by

16 June Youth Day 1995[5]
secondary school students in 1976.[3]

National Commemorates the 1956 march of approximately

9 August 1995[6]
Women's Day 20,000 women to petition against pass laws.[3]

Recognises aspects of South African culture

which are both tangible and difficult to pin down:
24 September Heritage Day 1995[7]
creative expression, the historical inheritance,
language, the food, and the land people live on.[3]

Day of Honors both the Black and White soldiers who

16 December 1995
Reconciliation died in the Battle of Blood River in 1838.[3]

25 December Christmas Day 1910

26 December Day of Goodwill 1910 Formerly Boxing Day.

The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994)[8] states that whenever a public holiday falls on a
Sunday, the Monday following it will be a public holiday.[1]
Once-off holidays
Since 1994 election days have been declared ad hoc public holidays:

National and provincial government

elections – 2 June 1999[9]
National and provincial government
elections – 14 April 2004[10]
Local government elections – 1 March
2006[11]
National and provincial government
elections – 22 April 2009[12]
Local government elections – 18 May
2011[13]
National and provincial government
elections – 7 May 2014[14]
 Local government elections – 3 August
2016[15]
National and provincial government
elections – 8 May 2019[16]
Local government elections – 1
November 2021[17][18]
31 December 1999 and 2 January 2000 were declared public holidays to accommodate the Y2K
changeover, and 3 January 2000 was automatically a public holiday because the previous
holiday was a Sunday.[19]

2 May 2008 was declared a public holiday when Human Rights Day and Good Friday coincided
on 21 March 2008.[20]

27 December 2011 was declared a holiday by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe as

Christmas Day fell on a Sunday which generally makes the following Monday a public holiday.
However, the following Monday, 26 December 2011, was the Day of Goodwill and therefore
decreased the number of paid public holidays for the year. Initially this day was not to be
declared a public holiday[21] but in mid-December the decision was changed.[22]

27 December 2016 was declared a holiday by president Jacob Zuma following a request by the
Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA).[23] The request by FEDUSA was motivated by the
fact this year, workers in the country will only have 11 public holidays instead of 12 due to fact
that 25 December (Christmas Day) falls on a Sunday. The declaration of 27 December as a
public holiday, the Presidency said, will ensure that workers are not unduly disadvantaged
because of this unusual event and are still entitled to their 12 paid public holidays.[24]

27 December 2022 was declared a holiday by president Cyril Ramaphosa[25] In view of the
unique circumstances around the 2022 calendar, and to uphold relevant labour law principles
and practices, President Ramaphosa has declared Tuesday, 27 December, as a public holiday in
lieu of Christmas Day. COSATU urged Cyril Ramaphosa to declare December 27 a public holiday,
saying it would also show appreciation for the sacrifices workers had made in keeping the
economy moving. [26]

15 December 2023 was declared a holiday by president Cyril Ramaphosa[25] due to South Africa
winning the Rugby World Cup for the fourth time.

Religious public holidays

The Christian holidays of Christmas Day and Good Friday remained in secular post-apartheid
South Africa's calendar of public holidays. The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of
the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission), a
chapter nine institution established in 2004, held countrywide consultative public hearings in
June and July 2012 to assess the need for a review of public holidays following the receipt of
complaints from minority groups about unfair discrimination. The CRL Rights Commission
stated that they would submit their recommendations to the Department of Home Affairs, the
Department of Labour, various Portfolio Committees and the Office of the Presidency by October
2012.[27][28] On 10 November 2012 the Minister of Home Affairs Naledi Pandor told Christian
protesters objecting to the removal of Christian public holidays that she had not received any
enquiries from the CRL Rights Commission yet.[29] The CRL Rights Commission published its
recommendations on 17 April 2013, including the scrapping of some existing public holidays to
free up days for some non-Christian religious public holidays.[30][31] On 18 January 2015 the
South African Law Reform Commission published a discussion document on legislation
administered by the Department of Home Affairs in which it suggested "that either these
holidays be reviewed or that equal weight be given to holidays of other faiths".[32][33][34]

Historical public holidays

South Africa's present calendar of public holidays was introduced in 1994. During the period
between Union in 1910, and the establishment of the present republic in 1994, the following
were the official public holidays:
In gold, the former National Day
 Date English Name Period

1 January New Year's Day 1910–present

The Friday before Easter Sunday Good Friday 1910–present

Easter Monday 1910–1979

The Monday following Easter Sunday
Family Day 1980–present

Van Riebeeck's Day 1952–1973

6 April
Founder's Day 1980–1994

1st Friday in May Workers' Day 1987–1989

1 May Workers' Day 1995–present

40th day after Easter Ascension Day 1910–1993

24 May Victoria Day / Empire Day 1910–1951

Union Day 1910–1960

31 May
Republic Day 1961–1993

2nd Monday in July Queen's Birthday 1952–1960

10 July Family Day 1961–1973

1st Monday in August King's Birthday 1910–1951

1st Monday in September Settlers' Day 1952–1979

10 October Kruger Day 1952–1993

Dingaan's Day 1910–1951

Day of the Covenant 1952–1979

16 December
Day of the Vow 1979–1994

Day of Reconciliation 1995–present

25 December Christmas Day 1910–present

Boxing Day 1910–1979

26 December
Day of Goodwill 1980–present
References

1. "NO. 36 OF 1994: PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ACT,

1994" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080
821151813/http://www.gov.za/aboutsa/hol
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(GCIS). 28 March 2008. Archived from the
original (http://www.gov.za/aboutsa/holida
ys.htm) on 21 August 2008. Retrieved
29 March 2008.
2. "Government Website: Public Holidays
Archive" (https://web.archive.org/web/2014
0915184533/http://www.gov.za/aboutsa/h
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Archived from the original (http://www.gov.
za/aboutsa/holidays_archive.htm) on 15
September 2014. Retrieved 15 September
2014.

3. "Public holidays in South Africa | South

African Government" (https://www.gov.za/a
bout-sa/public-holidays#2021) . gov.za.
South African Government. Retrieved
26 January 2021.
4. "First celebration of May Day in South
Africa" (http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-
event/first-celebration-may-day-south-afric
a) . South African History Online. Retrieved
15 September 2014.

5. "Speech by President Nelson Mandela on

South Africa Youth Day Ladysmith, 16 June
1995" (http://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/
speech-president-nelson-mandela-south-afr
ica-youth-day-ladysmith-16-june-1995) .
South African History Online. Retrieved
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6. "South Africa celebrates the first National
Women's Day" (http://www.sahistory.org.z
a/dated-event/south-africa-celebrates-first-
national-womens-day) . South African
History Online. Retrieved 15 September
2014.

7. "First celebration of National Heritage Day"

(http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/fi
rst-celebration-national-heritage-day) .
South African History Online. Retrieved
15 September 2014.
8. "OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT: NO. 36 OF
1994: PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ACT, 1994" (http
s://web.archive.org/web/2006082107132
6/http://www.info.gov.za/acts/1994/a36-9
4.pdf) (PDF). info.gov.za. 7 December
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9. "Media Advisory" (http://www.gov.za/speec

hes/2006/06012715151002.htm) .
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10. "VOTING DAY A PUBLIC HOLIDAY" (http://w
ww.gov.za/speeches/2004/040408161110
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11. "Media release on public holidays" (http://w

ww.gov.za/speeches/1999/9906031026a1
002.htm) . Government Communications
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12. "President declares 22 April a public holiday

throughout the Republic" (http://www.gov.z
a/speeches/2004/04040816111002.htm) .
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13. "President declares a public holiday" (http://
www.gov.za/speeches/view.php?sid=17058
&tid=30194) . The Presidency. 16 March
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14. "Proclamation by the President of the

Republic of South Africa" (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20141114180246/http://www.g
ov.za/documents/download.php?f=21055
1) . President. 25 February 2014. Archived
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15. "President Zuma declares 3 August 2016 a
public holiday" (http://www.thepresidency.g
ov.za/pebble.asp?relid=22286) . The
Presidency. 24 June 2016. Retrieved
30 June 2016.

16. "President Cyril Ramaphosa signs

proclamation on election date" (https://ww
w.gov.za/speeches/president-ramaphosa-si
gns-proclamation-election-date-26-feb-201
9-0000) . The Presidency.

17. "Local government elections to go ahead -

new date set" (https://www.news24.com/a
mp/news24/southafrica/local/pe-express/l
ocal-government-elections-to-go-ahead-ne
w-date-set-20210910) .
18. "Elections 2021: Ramaphosa declares 1
November a public holiday" (https://www.n
ews24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/new
s/elections-2021-ramaphosa-declares-1-no
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19. "Media release on public holidays" (https://

web.archive.org/web/20120328122217/htt
p://www.info.gov.za/speeches/1999/99102
8409p1002.htm) . Government
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20. "T Mbeki declares 2 May 2008 public
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21. "Tuesday 27 December not a public holiday"

(http://www.gov.za/speeches/2005/05101
315151001.htm) . Department of Home
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15 September 2014.
22. "Acting President Kgalema Motlanthe
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holiday" (http://www.gov.za/speeches/view.
php?sid=24078&tid=52299) . The
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15 September 2014.

23. "Zuma declares December 27 a public

holiday" (https://www.news24.com/SouthA
frica/News/zuma-declares-december-27-a-
public-holiday-20160919) . News24.

24. "27 December declared a public holiday" (ht

tps://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/27-
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gov.za/press-statements/president-declare
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26. "Hooray! Ramaphosa declares December

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d-a2c6-4435-8525-60481184abcd) .
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n?pageid=461&sid=28605&tid=73934) .
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ww.crlcommission.org.za/fightoverholiday
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29. "Hands off Christmas, protesters say" (htt

p://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/H
ands-off-Christmas-protesters-say-2012111
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lidays_recomendations.pdf) (PDF). CRL
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cr_docs/public_holidays_recomendations.p
df) (PDF) on 13 May 2013. Retrieved
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c-holidays-religiuos) . eNCA. 29 April 2013.
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32. "Media statement by the South African Law

Reform Commission concerning its release
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media/20150119-dp133.pdf) (PDF).
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33. Discussion Paper 133 (Project 25) (http://w
ww.justice.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp133.pd
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34. Soobramoney, Candice (25 June 2015).
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76519#.VZudN_mqqkp) . The Post.
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External links

South African National Holidays in

iCalendar format (https://www.calendarl
abs.com/ical-calendar/ics/68/South_Afr
ica_Holidays.ics)
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Public_holidays_in_South_Africa&oldid=12132
54009"

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