South African public holidays 2028

All 13 public holidays in 2028

Long weekends in 2028

Make the most of your leave

2028 calendar

Working days per month in 2028

The Sunday rule

Working on a public holiday

Frequently asked questions

All 13 public holidays in 2028

Long weekends in 2028

Make the most of your leave

2028 calendar

Working days per month in 2028

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 2027

Working days calculator

2028 has 13 public holidays. Heritage Day (24 September) falls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 September is a holiday. Freedom Day (27 April) is a Thursday, so Friday 28 April is a popular leave day. Also see 2026 and 2027.

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

10 of these fall on a weekday. With a Monday to Friday week, 2028 has 250 working days.

4 days Fri 14 Apr – Mon 17 AprGood Friday, Family Day
3 days Sat 29 Apr – Mon 1 MayWorkers' Day
3 days Fri 16 Jun – Sun 18 JunYouth Day
3 days Sat 23 Sep – Mon 25 SepHeritage Day, Heritage Day observed
4 days Sat 23 Dec – Tue 26 DecChristmas Day, Day of Goodwill
3 days Sat 30 Dec – Mon 1 JanNew Year's Day

1 leave → 4 off Take Mon 20 MarOff Sat 18 Mar – Tue 21 Mar (Human Rights Day)
3 leave → 6 off Take Wed 22 Mar, Thu 23 Mar, Fri 24 MarOff Tue 21 Mar – Sun 26 Mar (Human Rights Day)
3 leave → 6 off Take Mon 24 Apr, Tue 25 Apr, Wed 26 AprOff Sat 22 Apr – Thu 27 Apr (Freedom Day)
1 leave → 5 off Take Fri 28 AprOff Thu 27 Apr – Mon 1 May (Freedom Day, Workers' Day)
2 leave → 5 off Take Mon 7 Aug, Tue 8 AugOff Sat 5 Aug – Wed 9 Aug (National Women's Day)
2 leave → 5 off Take Thu 10 Aug, Fri 11 AugOff Wed 9 Aug – Sun 13 Aug (National Women's Day)
3 leave → 10 off Take Wed 27 Dec, Thu 28 Dec, Fri 29 DecOff Sat 23 Dec – Mon 1 Jan (Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill, New Year's Day)

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

Public holiday Special public holiday Weekend

January 2028

February 2028

March 2028

April 2028

May 2028

June 2028

July 2028

August 2028

September 2028

October 2028

November 2028

December 2028

Month	Working days	Public holidays on weekdays
January	21	–
February	21	–
March	22	1
April	17	3
May	22	1
June	21	1
July	21	–
August	22	1
September	20	1
October	22	–
November	22	–
December	19	2
Total	250	10

Monday to Friday. Need a six-day week or your own dates? Use the working days calculator. School terms: school terms 2028.

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 2028 that adds 25 September.

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 2028?

13. 2028 has 13 public holidays. Heritage Day (24 September) falls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 September is a holiday. Freedom Day (27 April) is a Thursday, so Friday 28 April is a popular leave day.

What public holidays fall on a Sunday in 2028?

Heritage Day: the holiday moves to Monday 25 September 2028. Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act says a public holiday on a Sunday moves to the following Monday.

When is Easter 2028?

Good Friday is Friday 14 April 2028 and Family Day is the Monday after Easter Sunday, Monday 17 April 2028.

How many long weekends are there in 2028?

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 Fri 28 Apr: 1 leave day for 5 days off in a row.

How many working days are there in 2028?

250 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 2028?

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