South Africa: Workers Robbed of Two Public Holidays in 2026

24 September 2025
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Dylan Bettencourt
  • Human Rights Day on 21 March and Day of Goodwill on 26 December fall on Saturdays in 2026, meaning no weekday holidays.
  • If a holiday falls on Sunday, Monday is off. But if it falls on Saturday, workers lose it completely.

Workers across South Africa will miss out on two public holidays in 2026.

The country has 12 official public holidays every year. But in 2026, only 10 will give most workers a weekday off.

That's because Human Rights Day on 21 March and the Day of Goodwill on 26 December both fall on Saturdays. Under the Public Holidays Act, when a holiday falls on a Saturday, there's no extra day off for most workers.

If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the law moves it to Monday. But Saturday holidays simply vanish for anyone who doesn't work weekends.

It's not all bad news. National Women's Day, which falls on Sunday, 9 August in 2026, will be observed on Monday, 10 August.

The 2026 calendar still includes all 12 official public holidays. These range from global dates like New Year's Day and Christmas, to local ones like Freedom Day, Youth Day and Heritage Day.

Easter weekend will take place from 3 to 6 April in 2026.

For workers, though, the bottom line is simple: only 10 public holidays will mean a day off in 2026.

Read the original article on Scrolla.

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