South African Public Holidays 2026
12 public holidays, 1 of which falls on a Sunday and moves to Monday.
Plus 1 extra day declared by the President: Local Government Election Day (4 November 2026).
Public holiday dates in 2026
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | ||
| Human Rights Day | Falls on a Saturday; no extra day off | |
| Good Friday | ||
| Family Day | ||
| Freedom Day | ||
| Workers' Day | ||
| Youth Day | ||
| National Women's Day | Falls on Sunday 9 August 2026; Monday is the public holiday | |
| Heritage Day | ||
| Local Government Election Day | Declared by the President (once-off) | |
| Day of Reconciliation | ||
| Christmas Day | ||
| Day of Goodwill | Falls on a Saturday; no extra day off |
Source: Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 (section 1 lists the holidays; section 2(1) moves a holiday that falls on a Sunday to the Monday) and the South African Government public holidays list. A holiday that falls on a Saturday does not give an extra day. Good Friday and Family Day move with Easter.
Working days per month in 2026
Monday to Friday, with public holidays taken out. 2026 has 250 working days on a 5-day week. For a different date range or a 6-day week, use the working days calculator.
| Month | Working days |
|---|---|
| January | 21 |
| February | 20 |
| March | 22 |
| April | 19 |
| May | 20 |
| June | 21 |
| July | 23 |
| August | 20 |
| September | 21 |
| October | 22 |
| November | 20 |
| December | 21 |
| Total 2026 | 250 |
On average there are 21.67 working days a month (5-day week: 260 days ÷ 12). That is the figure payroll uses for daily rates.