Checked against the Government Gazette and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act on 30–31 October 2026, and against gov.za on 7 November 2026. General information, not legal advice. Your contract, a bargaining council agreement or a sectoral determination may give staff more.
Short answer: the December 2026 public holidays are Wednesday 16 December, Friday 25 December and Saturday 26 December, followed by Friday 1 January 2027.[2] If the holiday is a day your employee would normally work, you must pay their normal wage for the day if they stay home, and at least double if they work.[3] The Day of Goodwill on Saturday 26 December doesn't move to Monday, because only holidays that fall on a Sunday move.[2] Wednesday 4 November 2026 was also a paid public holiday for the local government elections, so check your November payslips too.[1]
Public holidays in December 2026 and January 2027
Date | Day | Holiday | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
16 December 2026 | Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation | gov.za[2] |
25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | gov.za[2] |
26 December 2026 | Saturday | Day of Goodwill (doesn't move) | gov.za[2] |
1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year's Day | gov.za[2] |
Does Day of Goodwill move to Monday?
No. The Public Holidays Act says that when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a public holiday.[2] There's no rule for Saturdays, so Saturday 26 December 2026 stays on the Saturday. Monday 28 December is a normal working day unless you agree otherwise.
Election Day: check your November payslips
Wednesday 4 November 2026 was a once-off paid public holiday for the local government elections. The pay rules below applied that day, so check that your November payslips reflect it. Our working days calculator already counts it as a holiday.
The President declared 4 November a public holiday under section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, in Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026 (Government Gazette 55352, 8 September 2026).[1] The Presidency announced it on 15 September 2026.[4] We checked the gov.za public holidays page on 7 November 2026, and it still listed only the regular holidays, so don't rely on that page alone for this year.[2]
What you must pay (BCEA section 18)
Section 18 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) sets the minimum. You can't make an employee work on a public holiday unless they've agreed to.[3]
Holiday on a normal working day
If the public holiday falls on a day the employee would ordinarily work, you must pay:[3]
- If they don't work: at least the wage they would ordinarily have received for that day.
- If they do work: at least double that amount, or, if it's more, their ordinary wage for the day plus what they earned for the time they worked.
Working a holiday they wouldn't normally work
If someone works on a public holiday that isn't one of their normal working days (for example a Monday-to-Friday employee who works on Saturday 26 December), you must pay their ordinary daily wage plus the amount they earned for the work done that day.[3]
Staff earning above R269 600.90 a year
From 1 May 2026, employees earning more than R269 600.90 a year are excluded from sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17(2) and 18(3) of the Act.[5] Section 18(3), the rule for working on a day they wouldn't normally work, is the part that matters for public holidays. The same notice also takes them out of the hours, overtime, Sunday-work and rest rules, so don't assume those still apply to them. They aren't excluded from the rest of section 18, so the agreement rule, the normal-working-day pay rule and the payday rule still apply to them.[5] For this threshold, "earnings" don't include subsistence and transport allowances, achievement awards or overtime pay.[5]
Shifts that cross midnight
If a shift falls partly on a public holiday and partly on another day, the whole shift counts as worked on the public holiday, unless most of the shift was worked on the other day.[3] Pay for a public holiday is due on the employee's usual payday.[3]
Decision tree:
Public holiday: Would the employee normally work that day?
Yes: Did they work?
- No: Pay at least the normal wage for the day
- Yes: Pay at least double the day's wage, or the day's wage plus earnings for the time worked, if more
No: Did they work?
- No: No extra pay under s18
Yes: Earns more than R269 600.90 a year?
- No: Pay the daily wage plus earnings for the work done
- Yes: s18(3) doesn't apply. Check the contract
Worked examples: monthly salary and hourly pay
The BCEA works out a wage from the hours an employee ordinarily works. A monthly wage is 4⅓ times the weekly wage, and a full-time employee is treated as working at most 45 hours a week and 9 hours a day (7.5 hours if they work more than five days a week).[3]
Illustration only. These examples show the arithmetic on the minimum rules. They aren't advice for your business. Check your own contracts, bargaining council agreement and payroll settings.
1. Monthly salary of R15 000, Monday to Friday, 9 hours a day
- Weekly wage: R15 000 ÷ 4⅓ = R3 461.54
- Daily wage: R3 461.54 ÷ 5 = R692.31
- Off on 16 December: the monthly salary already includes the day, so there's nothing extra to add. Don't deduct the day.
- Works on 16 December: at least double the daily wage for that day, R1 384.62. Their salary already covers one day's wage, so the extra on the December payslip is R692.31.
2. Hourly pay of R40 an hour, 8-hour day
- Off on 16 December (a normal working day): you still owe the day's wage, 8 × R40 = R320.
- Works 8 hours on 16 December: at least double, R640.
R40 an hour is an example rate. The national minimum wage is R30.23 an hour from 1 March 2026; see our minimum wage calculator.[6]
3. Same R15 000 employee works 5 hours on Saturday 26 December (not a normal working day)
- Hourly wage: R3 461.54 ÷ 45 = R76.92
- Daily wage R692.31 plus 5 × R76.92 = R384.60 for the work = R1 076.91 for the day (rounded to the cent at each step).
- This rule applies only if they earn R269 600.90 a year or less. R15 000 a month is R180 000 a year, so it does.[5] Hours that take them over their weekly ordinary hours may also count as overtime; check this with your payroll adviser.
Swapping a public holiday for another day
A public holiday can be exchanged for another day that you and the employee agree on (Public Holidays Act section 2(2)).[3] Put the agreement in writing and show the swapped day on the payslip.
December shutdown: public holidays and annual leave
Many businesses close over December. Two BCEA rules matter here:
- Holiday during annual leave: if a public holiday falls during an employee's annual leave on a day they would ordinarily have worked, you must give them an extra day of paid leave.[3] For example, 16 December and 25 December fall on a Wednesday and a Friday, so a Monday-to-Friday employee on leave over that period doesn't use leave for those two days.
- Timing of leave: annual leave is taken by agreement, or, if there's no agreement, at a time the employer decides in line with the BCEA.[3]
Our leave days calculator helps you track the balance.
Domestic workers
Sectoral Determination 7 for domestic workers has the same structure:[7]
- Holiday on a normal working day: the daily wage if they don't work, at least double the daily wage if they do.
- Working a holiday they don't normally work: the daily wage plus the hourly wage for each hour worked.
- Pay is due on the normal payday.
Example at the minimum wage of R30.23 an hour for an 8-hour day:[6] the daily wage is R241.84, so working 16 December on a normal working day earns at least R483.68. Working 4 hours on a day they don't normally work earns R241.84 + (4 × R30.23) = R362.76.
Use our domestic worker payslip template to show the holiday pay as its own line.
Bargaining councils may set different rules
If your business falls under a bargaining council, its agreement may set different or higher pay for public holidays. For example, the Furniture Bargaining Council's Circular 12/26 set its own rate for 4 November.[8] Check your council's latest circular.
Payroll checklist for November and December payslips
- Make sure 16, 25 and 26 December are marked as public holidays in your payroll calendar, and that November payslips reflect 4 November.
- For each employee, note whether each holiday was a normal working day for them.
- Record who worked, and how many hours.
- Monthly staff who didn't work: no deduction. Monthly staff who worked on a normal working day: add at least one extra daily wage.
- Hourly staff: pay the day's wage for a holiday on a normal working day, even if they didn't work.
- Anyone who worked a day they don't normally work: add the daily wage plus pay for the work, unless they earn above R269 600.90 a year.
- Leave over December: add back a leave day for each public holiday that fell on a normal working day.
- Pay all public holiday amounts on the usual payday and show them on the payslip.
FAQ
What are the December 2026 public holidays in South Africa?
Wednesday 16 December (Day of Reconciliation), Friday 25 December (Christmas Day) and Saturday 26 December (Day of Goodwill), followed by Friday 1 January 2027 (New Year's Day).[2]
Do I have to pay staff for a public holiday if they don't work?
Yes, if it falls on a day they would normally work. You must pay at least what they would ordinarily have earned that day.[3]
How much must I pay an employee who works on a public holiday?
On a normal working day, at least double their ordinary daily wage, or their daily wage plus what they earned for the hours worked, if that's more.[3]
What if the public holiday is on an employee's day off?
If they don't work, section 18 doesn't add anything. If they do work, you pay their daily wage plus what they earned for the work, unless they earn more than R269 600.90 a year.[3][5]
Does Day of Goodwill move to Monday when it falls on a Saturday?
No. Only holidays that fall on a Sunday move to the Monday. Saturday 26 December 2026 stays on the Saturday.[2]
What happens if a public holiday falls during annual leave?
If it falls on a day the employee would normally have worked, you must give them an extra day of paid leave.[3]
Can an employer force staff to work on a public holiday?
No. Work on a public holiday must be by agreement.[3]
Can we swap a public holiday for another day?
Yes, by agreement between you and the employee.[3]
Do the rules apply to employees earning above the BCEA threshold?
Partly. Employees earning more than R269 600.90 a year are excluded from section 18(3), the rule for working on a day they wouldn't normally work. The same notice also takes them out of the hours, overtime, Sunday-work and rest rules.[5]
How do I calculate a daily wage from a monthly salary?
Divide the monthly salary by 4⅓ to get the weekly wage, then divide by the number of days worked in a week.[3] For R15 000 on a five-day week, that's R692.31.
What are the public holiday rules for domestic workers?
The same pattern under Sectoral Determination 7: the daily wage if they don't work on a normal working day, at least double if they do, and the daily wage plus the hourly wage for each hour on a day they don't normally work.[7]
Was 4 November 2026 a public holiday in South Africa?
Yes. It was declared a public holiday for the local government elections in Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026 (Government Gazette 55352, 8 September 2026).[1] The same pay rules applied, so check your November payslips.
Sources
- Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026, Public Holidays Act section 2A, Government Gazette 55352, 8 September 2026 (Acts Online copy): https://www.acts.co.za/public-holidays-act-1994/pn346_proclamation_notice_346_
- gov.za, Public holidays in South Africa (checked 7 November 2026): https://www.gov.za/about-sa/public-holidays
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, sections 18, 20 and 35 (Department of Employment and Labour): https://www.labour.gov.za/DocumentCenter/Acts/Basic%20Conditions%20of%20Employment/Act%20-%20Basic%20Conditions%20of%20Employment.pdf
- The Presidency, "President Ramaphosa declares Election Day 4 November 2026 a public holiday", 15 September 2026: https://presidency.gov.za/president-ramaphosa-declares-election-day-4-november-2026-public-holiday
- Government Notice 7384, Government Gazette 54544, 17 April 2026, which prints the earnings threshold of R269 600.90 in digits and words. This Gazette figure is the one we use (copy of the notice): https://www.labournet.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BCEA-Earnings-Threshold-2026.pdf. The Department of Employment and Labour media statement of 21 April 2026 gives a different figure, which we do not rely on: https://www.labour.gov.za/Media-Desk/Media-Statements/Pages/Department-of-Employment-and-Labour-sets-a-new-threshold-in-the-protection-of-employees-.aspx
- Government Notice R.7083, National Minimum Wage, Government Gazette 54075, 3 February 2026: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202602/54075rg11941gon7083.pdf
- Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Worker Sector, clause 18 (Acts Online): https://www.acts.co.za/basic/sd7_nr1068_18__public_holidays
- Furniture Bargaining Council, Circular 12/26: https://fbcweb.furnbed.co.za/cir26/Circular%2012-26%20%20(Paid%20Public%20Holidays%20-%20Election%20-%204%20November%202026)Pta.pdf
This article is general information about South African labour law minimums as at 7 November 2026. It isn't legal or tax advice. If you're unsure how the rules apply to your staff, speak to a labour law or payroll professional.