Under the Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994), South Africa recognises 12 public holidays. If a public holiday happens to fall on a Sunday, the subsequent Monday is designated as a public holiday.
The dates of Good Friday and Easter Sunday are based on the ecclesiastical moon. Although these dates fluctuate annually, they always occur between late March and late April.
The below table indicates the public holidays set for 2025 in South Africa.
| HOLIDAY | DATE |
| New Year’s Day | Wed 1 January |
| Human Rights Day | Fri 21 March |
| Good Friday | Fri 18 April |
| Family Day | Mon 21 April |
| Freedom Day | Sun 27 April |
| Freedom Day (Observed) | Mon 28 April |
| Worker’s Day | Thu 1 May |
| Youth Day | Mon 16 June |
| National Women’s Day | Sat 9 August |
| Heritage Day | Wed 24 September |
| Day of Reconciliation | Tue 16 December |
| Christmas Day | Thu 25 December |
| Day of Goodwill (Boxing Day) | Fri 26 December |
2025 Long Weekends
South African will enjoy five long weekends in 2025 as follows:
| HOLIDAY(S) | START DATE | END DATE |
| Human Rights Day | Fri 21 March | Sun 23 Mar |
| Good Friday and Family Day | Fri 18 April | Mon 21 April |
| Freedom Day | Sat 26 April | Mon 28 April |
| Youth Day | Sat 14 Jun | Mon 16 June |
| Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill | Thu 25 December | Sun 28 December |
Click to check the 2025 School Holidays Calendar?
For updates, please see https://www.gov.za/about-sa/public-holidays.
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