South African public holidays: important dates in 2022 and 2023

Living in South Africa? Here’s a list of all the South African public holidays you need to know in 2022 and 2023, as well as other important dates to make a note of on your calendar.

Whether you’re living in Cape Town or Johannesburg, it’s important to note the dates of South Africa’s holidays. This is because many public institutions and companies close on these days.

To ensure you don’t miss out on anything important, our guide puts together a list of South Africa’s public holidays as well as important dates for your calendar.

Introduction to South African public holidays

Public holidays in South Africa are generally referred to as bank holidays. There are 12 annual South African bank holidays as determined by the Public Holidays Act. When holidays in South Africa fall on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically given as a public holiday.

Here is a list of public holidays in South Africa in 2022 and 2023 as well as other important South African holidays.

South African public holidays during 2022

• 1 January (Saturday): New Year’s Day
• 21 March (Monday): Human Rights Day
• 15 April (Friday): Good Friday
• 18 April (Monday): Family Day
• 27 April (Wednesday): Freedom Day
• 1 May (Sunday): Workers Day
• 2 May (Monday): Workers Day holiday
• 16 June (Thursday): Youth Day
• 9 August (Tuesday): National Women’s Day
• 24 September (Saturday): Heritage Day
• 16 December (Friday): Day of Reconciliation
• 25 December (Sunday): Christmas Day
• 26 December (Monday): Christmas Day holiday/Day of Goodwill

Important dates in South Africa during 2022

• 8 May (Sunday): Mother’s Day
• 26 May (Thursday): Ascension Day
• 5 June (Sunday): Pentecost
• 19 June (Sunday): Father’s Day
• 18 July (Monday): Nelson Mandela Day – events run throughout July
• 1 November (Tuesday): All Saints’ Day
• 31 December (Saturday): New Year’s Eve

South African public holidays during 2023

• 1 January (Sunday): New Year’s Day
• 2 January (Monday): New Year Holiday
• 21 March (Tuesday): Human Rights Day
• 7 April (Friday): Good Friday
• 10 April (Monday): Family Day
• 27 April (Thursday): Freedom Day
• 1 May (Monday): Workers Day
• 16 June (Friday): Youth Day
• 9 August (Wednesday): National Women’s Day
• 24 September (Sunday): Heritage Day
• 16 December (Saturday): Day of Reconciliation
• 25 December (Monday): Christmas Day
• 26 December (Tuesday): Day of Goodwill

Important dates in South Africa during 2023

• 14 May (Sunday): Mother’s Day
• 18 May (Thursday): Ascension Day
• 28 May (Sunday): Pentecost
• 18 June (Sunday): Father’s Day
• 18 July (Tuesday): Nelson Mandela Day – events run throughout July
• 1 November (Wednesday): All Saints’ Day
• 31 December (Sunday): New Year’s Eve

There are no daylight saving time changes in South Africa; unlike in other countries, the clock remains the same throughout the year.

South African school holidays

Read even more about when your kids will be out of school in our guide to school holidays in South Africa.

You can also view a list of other celebrations in South Africa in Expatica’s guide to festivals in South Africa.