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Dates & terms

Public Holidays & School Terms

Complete 2026 South African gazetted dates and term schedules.

Last reviewed: April 2026

Plan your year effectively. This hub tracks all official South African public holidays, long weekends, and both public and private school terms to help with leave planning and family schedules.

Calendar updates

  • Calendar

    2026 public holiday gazette published

    Official public holiday dates for 2026 are available — verify long weekends before booking leave.

    Read more
  • Calendar

    2026 school terms — public vs private

    Term opening and closing dates differ between public and private schools — see the calendar below.

    Read more

Next public holidays

  • 2026-06-16Youth Day
  • 2026-08-09National Women's Day
  • 2026-08-10Public Holiday (Substitution for Women's Day)
  • 2026-09-24Heritage Day
  • 2026-12-16Day of Reconciliation
  • 2026-12-25Christmas Day
  • 2026-12-26Day of Goodwill

May 2026

MTWTFSS
2728293023456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930311234567

Interactive Guide

Hover holidays to see them on the calendar. Click for history.

Public Schools (DBE)

  • Term 1
    14 Jan – 27 Mar
  • Term 2
    13 Apr – 26 Jun
  • Term 3
    21 Jul – 25 Sep
  • Term 4
    13 Oct – 11 Dec

Private Schools (ISASA)

  • Term 1
    14 Jan – 10 Apr

    Three-term representative

  • Term 2
    05 May – 07 Aug
  • Term 3
    01 Sep – 04 Dec

Dates transcribed from official 2026 gazettes. Content review: April 2026.

Upcoming Public Holidays

Official gazetted public holidays for the remainder of 2026.

May 1
Friday

Workers' Day

Creates a long weekend. Celebrates workers' rights.

Public holidays falling on a Sunday are officially observed on the following Monday. Employers must pay double time or grant time off if you are required to work on these days.

Jun 16
Tuesday

Youth Day

Commemorates the 1976 Soweto uprising.

Taking Monday off creates a 4-day weekend. Ensure you submit leave requests early as this is a popular short-break period.

Aug 9
Sunday

National Women's Day

Public holiday observed on Monday, Aug 10.

Public holidays falling on a Sunday are officially observed on the following Monday. Employers must pay double time or grant time off if you are required to work.

Sep 24
Thursday

Heritage Day

Take Friday off for a 4-day weekend.

Colloquially known as Braai Day. Taking the Friday off creates a highly popular 4-day spring weekend.

Dec 16
Wednesday

Day of Reconciliation

Focuses on national unity.

Marks the beginning of the core festive season. Traffic volumes on national highways peak dramatically after this date.

Dec 25
Friday

Christmas Day

Major religious and cultural holiday.

Followed immediately by the Day of Goodwill. Most retail and corporate sectors operate on skeleton staff during this week.

2026 School Terms

Department of Basic Education (DBE) inland and coastal term dates.

1

Term 1 (Jan 14 - Mar 20)

First term for all public schools. Term dates dictate peak travel seasons. Accommodation and flight prices typically spike 2 weeks before the term ends.

2

Term 2 (Apr 8 - Jun 26)

Second term before winter break. Ensure winter uniform preparations are completed.

3

Term 3 (Jul 21 - Oct 2)

Third term. Spring holidays begin immediately after. Traffic to coastal regions increases.

4

Term 4 (Oct 13 - Dec 11)

Final term and exam period. Matric final exams usually begin mid-way through Term 4. Holiday traffic surges immediately after schools close on Dec 11.

Official Sources

Verified portals for final submission and validation.

Gov.za Holidayswww.gov.za/about-sa/public-holidays

Official gazette

DBE Calendarwww.education.gov.za

School schedules