South African public holidays 2027

All 14 public holidays in 2027

Long weekends in 2027

Make the most of your leave

2027 calendar

Working days per month in 2027

The Sunday rule

Working on a public holiday

Frequently asked questions

All 14 public holidays in 2027

Long weekends in 2027

Make the most of your leave

2027 calendar

Working days per month in 2027

The Sunday rule

Working on a public holiday

Frequently asked questions

Related tools

Clear money answers for South African homes

Public holidays 2026

Public holidays 2028

Working days calculator

2027 has 14 public holidays. Human Rights Day (21 March) and Day of Goodwill (26 December) fall on Sundays, so Monday 22 March and Monday 27 December are also holidays under the Sunday rule. Also see 2026 and 2028.

Source: South African Government (gov.za), The Presidency (gov.za), Department of Basic Education (gov.za)Last checked 30 October 2026

Sources and notes

South African public holidays 2026, 2027 and 2028 — effective 1 January 2026
- Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 (Schedule 1 and s2(1): a Sunday holiday moves to the Monday) (South African Government (gov.za))
- Public holidays in South Africa (2026 and 2027 lists) (South African Government (gov.za))
- President declares Election Day, 4 November 2026, a public holiday under s2A of the Public Holidays Act (The Presidency (gov.za))
- National Education Policy Act: 2027 Calendar for public schools (GN 5902, 25 February 2025) (Department of Basic Education (gov.za))
- National Education Policy Act: 2028 Calendar for public schools (GN 8081, 23 October 2026) (Department of Basic Education (gov.za))

Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994, s2(1): "whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be a public holiday". A holiday on a Saturday does not move.
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday and Family Day the Monday after it (Schedule 1); Easter follows the Western (Gregorian) church calendar.
4 November 2026 (local government elections) was declared a public holiday under s2A of the Act. No special public holidays had been declared for 2027 or 2028 when checked; the President can still declare one.
The gov.za 2027 list omits Monday 27 December 2027, but Day of Goodwill (26 December 2027) is a Sunday, so s2(1) applies, and the DBE's gazetted 2027 school calendar lists 27 December as a public holiday.
gov.za has not published a 2028 list. The 2028 dates are worked out from the Act and match the public holidays in the DBE's gazetted 2028 school calendar (including Monday 25 September 2028 for Heritage Day on a Sunday).
An employer and employee may agree to exchange a public holiday for another day (s2(2)).

Date	Day	Holiday
1 January	Friday	New Year's Day
21 March	Sunday	Human Rights Day
22 March	Monday	Human Rights Day observedSunday holiday moves to Monday (s2(1))
26 March	Friday	Good Friday
29 March	Monday	Family Day
27 April	Tuesday	Freedom Day
1 May	Saturday	Workers' Day
16 June	Wednesday	Youth Day
9 August	Monday	National Women's Day
24 September	Friday	Heritage Day
16 December	Thursday	Day of Reconciliation
25 December	Saturday	Christmas Day
26 December	Sunday	Day of Goodwill
27 December	Monday	Day of Goodwill observedSunday holiday moves to Monday (s2(1))

10 of these fall on a weekday. With a Monday to Friday week, 2027 has 251 working days.

3 days Fri 1 Jan – Sun 3 JanNew Year's Day
3 days Sat 20 Mar – Mon 22 MarHuman Rights Day, Human Rights Day observed
4 days Fri 26 Mar – Mon 29 MarGood Friday, Family Day
3 days Sat 7 Aug – Mon 9 AugNational Women's Day
3 days Fri 24 Sep – Sun 26 SepHeritage Day
3 days Sat 25 Dec – Mon 27 DecChristmas Day, Day of Goodwill, Day of Goodwill observed

3 leave → 10 off Take Tue 23 Mar, Wed 24 Mar, Thu 25 MarOff Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 Mar (Human Rights Day, Human Rights Day observed, Good Friday, Family Day)
1 leave → 4 off Take Mon 26 AprOff Sat 24 Apr – Tue 27 Apr (Freedom Day)
3 leave → 6 off Take Wed 28 Apr, Thu 29 Apr, Fri 30 AprOff Tue 27 Apr – Sun 2 May (Freedom Day, Workers' Day)
2 leave → 5 off Take Mon 14 Jun, Tue 15 JunOff Sat 12 Jun – Wed 16 Jun (Youth Day)
2 leave → 5 off Take Thu 17 Jun, Fri 18 JunOff Wed 16 Jun – Sun 20 Jun (Youth Day)
3 leave → 6 off Take Mon 13 Dec, Tue 14 Dec, Wed 15 DecOff Sat 11 Dec – Thu 16 Dec (Day of Reconciliation)
1 leave → 4 off Take Fri 17 DecOff Thu 16 Dec – Sun 19 Dec (Day of Reconciliation)

Based on a Monday to Friday week. Leave is by agreement with your employer.

Public holiday Special public holiday Weekend

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

July 2027

August 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

Month	Working days	Public holidays on weekdays
January	20	1
February	20	–
March	20	3
April	21	1
May	21	–
June	21	1
July	22	–
August	21	1
September	21	1
October	21	–
November	22	–
December	21	2
Total	251	10

Monday to Friday. Need a six-day week or your own dates? Use the working days calculator. School terms: school terms 2027.

General information, not legal advice. KayaCalendar gives general information based on the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994, presidential declarations of special public holidays published on gov.za, and the public school calendars gazetted by the Minister of Basic Education. It is not legal advice and is not a government website. The President can declare extra public holidays, and provinces, schools and employers may set their own arrangements, so check important dates with the official source. Long weekends and leave ideas assume a Monday to Friday week. Leave needs your employer's agreement.

Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act says that when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a public holiday. A holiday on a Saturday does not move. The list above already applies this. In 2027 that adds 22 March and 27 December.

Work on a public holiday is by agreement, and most employees are paid at least double. Read working on a public holiday or how public holidays work.

How many public holidays are there in South Africa in 2027?

14. 2027 has 14 public holidays. Human Rights Day (21 March) and Day of Goodwill (26 December) fall on Sundays, so Monday 22 March and Monday 27 December are also holidays under the Sunday rule.

What public holidays fall on a Sunday in 2027?

Human Rights Day: the holiday moves to Monday 22 March 2027; Day of Goodwill: the holiday moves to Monday 27 December 2027. Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act says a public holiday on a Sunday moves to the following Monday.

When is Easter 2027?

Good Friday is Friday 26 March 2027 and Family Day is the Monday after Easter Sunday, Monday 29 March 2027.

How many long weekends are there in 2027?

6 runs of three days or more that include a public holiday, without taking leave, on a Monday to Friday week. The best value leave is Mon 26 Apr: 1 leave day for 4 days off in a row.

How many working days are there in 2027?

251 on a Monday to Friday week, after weekends and public holidays that fall on weekdays.

What if a public holiday falls on a Saturday?

It stays on the Saturday. Only a Sunday holiday moves to the Monday. Employees who normally work Saturdays get the day as a paid public holiday.

Can more public holidays be added in 2027?

Yes. The President can declare a special public holiday under section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, for example for an election. We update this page when that happens.

1: New Year's Day