South Africa Public Holidays 2025
South Africa has 12 public holidays under the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994, giving 13 days off in 2025. Freedom Day (Apr 27) falls on a Sunday, so the following Monday Apr 28 is also a public holiday. The Act grants a Monday substitute only for Sunday holidays — National Women's Day on Saturday Aug 9 gets none.
Days off in 2025
13 days
Statutory holidays
12
Sunday rule
Monday substitute
Longest break
Easter · 4 days
2025 South Africa calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
South Africa public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2025 | Wednesday | New Year's DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| March 21, 2025 | Friday | Human Rights DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| April 18, 2025 | Friday | Good FridayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| April 21, 2025 | Monday | Family DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| April 27, 2025 | Sunday | Freedom DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| April 28, 2025 | Monday | Freedom Day (observed)Freedom Day (Apr 27) falls on a Sunday in 2025. Under the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994, whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday the following Monday is also a public holiday.Substitute holiday | Substitute holiday |
| May 1, 2025 | Thursday | Workers' DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| June 16, 2025 | Monday | Youth DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| August 9, 2025 | Saturday | National Women's DayNational Women's Day falls on a Saturday in 2025. The Public Holidays Act grants a Monday substitute only when a holiday falls on a Sunday, so there is no extra day off for this Saturday holiday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| September 24, 2025 | Wednesday | Heritage DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| December 16, 2025 | Tuesday | Day of ReconciliationPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2025 | Thursday | Christmas DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| December 26, 2025 | Friday | Day of GoodwillPublic holiday | Public holiday |
How South African public holidays work
South Africa has 12 public holidays set by the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. They are national — unlike Australia or the US, there are no provincial public holidays, so the same dates apply in every province from Gauteng to the Western Cape.
The Act contains a distinctive Sunday rule: whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday. In 2025 this applies to Freedom Day — Sunday Apr 27 plus Monday Apr 28. The rule does not extend to Saturdays: National Women's Day on Saturday Aug 9, 2025 gets no substitute day.
What the commemorative days remember
Several South African public holidays mark turning points of the country's history. Freedom Day (Apr 27) commemorates the first democratic election in 1994, in which South Africans of all races voted for the first time. Youth Day (Jun 16) remembers the 1976 Soweto uprising, when thousands of students protested against apartheid education policies. Human Rights Day (Mar 21) recalls the 1960 Sharpeville massacre.
Heritage Day (Sep 24) celebrates the country's cultural diversity and is informally known as "Braai Day" — many families mark it with a barbecue. Day of Reconciliation (Dec 16) has a layered past: it was long observed by Afrikaners as the Day of the Vow (Battle of Blood River, 1838) and later marked the 1961 founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe; since 1995 it has been redefined as a day of national unity. Day of Goodwill (Dec 26) is South Africa's Boxing Day equivalent.
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Official sources & data
- Public holidaysVisit sourceSouth African Government
- Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994Visit sourceSouth African Government
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does South Africa have in 2025?+
The Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 sets 12 public holidays. Because Freedom Day falls on Sunday Apr 27, the Act makes Monday Apr 28 a holiday too — so South Africans get 13 days off in 2025.
Why is April 28, 2025 also a public holiday?+
Freedom Day is April 27, which falls on a Sunday in 2025. The Public Holidays Act states that whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday — so Monday April 28 is observed as the substitute day off.
Is there a substitute day when a South African holiday falls on a Saturday?+
No. The Public Holidays Act grants a Monday substitute only when a holiday falls on a Sunday. In 2025 National Women's Day (Aug 9) falls on a Saturday, so there is no additional day off.
What are the long weekends in South Africa in 2025?+
The longest break is Easter: Good Friday Apr 18 through Family Day Apr 21 gives four consecutive days off. Freedom Day (Sun Apr 27 plus Mon Apr 28) extends that weekend to three days, and Youth Day on Monday Jun 16 makes another three-day weekend. Human Rights Day (Fri Mar 21) also opens a three-day weekend.
What is the difference between Heritage Day and Day of Reconciliation?+
Heritage Day (Sep 24) celebrates South Africa's diverse cultures, languages and traditions — many people mark it with a braai (barbecue), hence its nickname "Braai Day". Day of Reconciliation (Dec 16) is about national unity after apartheid; the date carried separate meanings for different communities before 1994 and was redefined in 1995 as a day to foster reconciliation.
