Public Holidays

Keep these dates in mind when planning your business trip. These holidays have little, if any, effect on tourist attractions.

21 MARCH: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Human Rights Day is but one step to ensure that the people of South Africa are aware of their human rights and to ensure that abuse between our country’s nations never occurs again.

27 APRIL: FREEDOM DAY
Freedom Day was the day when the first democratic election was held in South Africa in 1994.

1 MAY: WORKER''S DAY
The significance of Worker’s Day in many countries is to commemorate the contribution made by workers to society on May Day.

16 JUNE: YOUTH DAY
Youth Day is a national holiday in South Africa in honor of all the young people who lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid and the Bantu Education Act.

9 AUGUST: NATIONAL WOMAN''S DAY
This day is celebrated to remind us of the contribution women made to society and the achievements that have been made for women’s rights.

24 SEPTEMBER: HERITAGE DAY
This day is a celebration of South Africa’s diverse cultures, customs, traditions, histories andlanguages.

16 DECEMBER: DAY OF RECONCILIATION
In the new South Africa this is a day of reconciliation, a day to focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and building a new nation.

SOUTH AFRICA HAS 12 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
New Year’s Day [1 January]
Human Rights Day [21 March]
Good Friday
Family Day (Easter Monday)
Freedom Day [27 April]
Worker’s Day [1 May]
Youth Day [16 June]
National Women’s Day [9 August]
Heritage Day [24 September]
Day of Reconciliation [16 December]
Christmas [25 December]
Day of Goodwill[26 December]