Public holidays in South Africa, 2027
South Africa has twelve public holidays in 2027, set by Schedule 1 of the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. Two fall on a Sunday and move to the Monday. Two fall on a Saturday and stay there. That leaves eleven weekday holidays for a business that works Monday to Friday.
| Holiday | 2027 date | What it means for the roster |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January | Long weekend |
| Human Rights Day | Sunday 21 March | Off on Monday 22 March |
| Good Friday | Friday 26 March | Easter weekend |
| Family Day | Monday 29 March | Easter weekend |
| Freedom Day | Tuesday 27 April | Bridge day: Monday 26 April |
| Workers’ Day | Saturday 1 May | Does not move |
| Youth Day | Wednesday 16 June | Midweek |
| National Women’s Day | Monday 9 August | Long weekend |
| Heritage Day | Friday 24 September | Long weekend |
| Day of Reconciliation | Thursday 16 December | Bridge day: Friday 17 December |
| Christmas Day | Saturday 25 December | Does not move |
| Day of Goodwill | Sunday 26 December | Off on Monday 27 December |
Public Holidays Act s2(1)
holiday on a Sunday → the Monday after is the public holiday · holiday on a Saturday → stays on the Saturday
The question payroll gets in January
The dates are the easy part. The hard part is the employee who worked Christmas, the one on leave over Easter, and the manager who promised a swap. Could you show today who agreed to work the last public holiday, and what they were paid?
The 2027 leave planner, with every public holiday already on it
Free Excel wall planner for 2027: one row per employee, the twelve public holidays shaded, weekends greyed, and the leave totals per person counting themselves. The PDF print copy lists the dates and the working days.
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- Excel
Two 2027 holidays fall on a Saturday and stay there.
The public holidays still to come in 2026
Before 2027 arrives, payroll still has four to deal with:
- Wednesday 4 November 2026, election day. Declared under section 2A of the Act for the local government elections (Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026). It is a full public holiday for pay purposes.
- Wednesday 16 December, Day of Reconciliation.
- Friday 25 December, Christmas Day.
- Saturday 26 December, Day of Goodwill. A Saturday, so it does not move to the Monday.
If you close for December, the shutdown and the leave it uses belong in your leave policy, written down before the first employee asks.
Public holiday pay: what section 18 of the BCEA requires
Work on a public holiday has to be agreed. Section 18(1) of the BCEA says an employer may not require an employee to work on a public holiday except in accordance with an agreement. After that, the pay depends on one question: would the employee ordinarily have worked that day?
A day they would ordinarily work
- Not worked: at least the ordinary wage for the day.
- Worked: at least double the ordinary daily wage, or the ordinary wage plus the amount earned for the work, whichever is greater (section 18(2)).
A day they would not ordinarily work
Worked: the ordinary daily wage plus the amount earned for the work performed (section 18(3)). Not worked: nothing extra, because it was never a working day for them.
Worked example: Freedom Day, Tuesday 27 April 2027
| Ordinary daily wage | five-day week | R600 |
| Does not work it | ordinary wage, s18(2)(a) | R600 |
| Works a full shift | R600 × 2, s18(2)(b) | R1,200 |
| Extra cost of working it | R1,200 − R600 | R600 |
The daily rate calculator gives the ordinary daily wage from a monthly salary. An employee earning above the BCEA earnings threshold (R269,600.90 a year since 1 May 2026) is outside section 18(3), so their contract decides that case. The overtime guide explains the threshold.
Four public holiday cases, worked out
On R600 a day, nine ordinary hours a day, five-day week.
Works five hours on Freedom Day, Tuesday 27 April
An ordinary working day, so section 18(2): the greater of double the day (R1,200) or the day plus the hours worked (R600 + 5 × R66.67 = R933.33). Pay R1,200.
Christmas Day 2027 falls on a Saturday; the employee works Monday to Friday
Not a working day for them, so no extra pay and no Monday off (only a Sunday holiday moves). If they agree to work it, section 18(3): the ordinary daily wage plus the hours worked.
Family Day (Monday 29 March) falls inside two weeks of annual leave
It is not deducted from the leave balance. The leave is extended by one day (section 20).
Manager and employee agree to work Youth Day and take the Friday off instead
Allowed by agreement under section 18(1). Put both dates in writing before the holiday; without the record the holiday stands and double pay applies.
The 2027 calendar, read for leave planning
Every South African employee will look at this calendar for bridge days. Expect leave requests for these dates before January is out:
- 22 to 29 March. Human Rights Day Monday, then Easter. Taking 23, 24 and 25 March as leave gives an employee eleven days off for three days of leave.
- Monday 26 April, the day before Freedom Day.
- Friday 17 December, the day after the Day of Reconciliation, and the run into Christmas.
Annual leave is taken at a time agreed between employer and employee, and the employer may decide when it is taken if they cannot agree (section 20(10)). A first-come rule, written in the policy and shown on a shared leave tracker, settles most of these before they become a dispute.
Five public holiday mistakes payroll makes
Moving a Saturday holiday
Only a Sunday holiday moves. 1 May and 25 December 2027 stay on the Saturday.
Taking it off annual leave
A public holiday inside a period of leave is not a leave day: section 20 adds a day.
Paying time and a half
That is the overtime rate. A worked public holiday that is an ordinary working day is double (section 18(2)).
Rostering without agreement
Section 18(1) requires the employee’s agreement. Put it in the contract or get it in writing.
Forgetting election day
4 November 2026 is a full public holiday under section 2A, paid like the rest.
Twelve dates, forty rosters
The holiday list is the same for everyone. Who works it, who agreed, who is on leave across it and what each person is owed is different for every employee. Synthro puts public holidays on the same calendar as the roster and leave, so a request for 17 December shows the clash before anyone approves it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays are there in South Africa in 2027?
Twelve, set by Schedule 1 of the Public Holidays Act. Two fall on a Sunday in 2027 (Human Rights Day on 21 March and the Day of Goodwill on 26 December), so the Mondays after them, 22 March and 27 December, are the public holidays. Two fall on a Saturday (Workers’ Day and Christmas Day) and do not move.
When is Easter 2027 in South Africa?
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, so Good Friday is 26 March and Family Day is Monday 29 March. Human Rights Day is observed the Monday before, 22 March, which puts two public holidays in one working week.
If a public holiday falls on a Saturday, do we get the Monday off?
No. Section 2(1) of the Public Holidays Act moves only a Sunday holiday to the Monday. Workers’ Day (1 May) and Christmas Day (25 December) both fall on a Saturday in 2027 and stay there. An employee who ordinarily works Saturdays gets the day off with pay, or double pay if they agree to work it.
How much must I pay an employee who works on a public holiday?
If the holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work, at least double their ordinary daily wage, or their ordinary wage plus what they earned for the work done, whichever is more (BCEA section 18(2)). If they do not work it, they get their ordinary wage for the day. Work on a public holiday must be agreed: section 18(1) says an employer may not require it otherwise.
Can an employer swap a public holiday for another day?
Yes, by agreement. Section 18(1) of the BCEA allows a public holiday to be exchanged for another day. Write the agreement down, with both dates, before the holiday. Without an agreement the holiday stands and the section 18 pay rules apply.
Is 4 November 2026 a public holiday?
Yes. The President declared Wednesday 4 November 2026, the local government election day, a public holiday under section 2A of the Public Holidays Act (Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026). It is paid like any other public holiday under section 18 of the BCEA.
Do public holidays count as annual leave days?
No. A public holiday that falls inside an employee’s annual leave is not deducted from the leave balance; the leave is extended by a day. Section 20 of the BCEA gives an extra paid day of leave for a public holiday that falls on a day the employee would ordinarily have worked.
Are Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve public holidays in South Africa?
No. 24 December and 31 December are ordinary working days under the Public Holidays Act. Many businesses close early or include them in a December shutdown, which uses annual leave unless the employer grants the time as extra paid leave.
