South Africa · leave planner
South Africa long weekends 2027
Which South Africa public holidays in 2027 already create a long weekend, and which ones are worth a day of leave.
This leave planner is the South Africa 2027 companion to the public-holiday list. It uses the same dates as the Africa Calendar studio. South Africa’s ordinary weekend is Saturday and Sunday.
A natural long weekend is a public holiday that already sits on Friday or Monday, so many offices close for three days without anyone booking leave. A bridge weekend is a mid-week holiday where one or two leave days connect the holiday to the weekend.
Natural Friday holidays in 2027: New Year's Day (Friday, 1 January 2027), Good Friday (Friday, 26 March 2027), Heritage Day (Friday, 24 September 2027).
Natural Monday holidays in 2027: Human Rights Day (observed) (Monday, 22 March 2027), Family Day (Monday, 29 March 2027), National Women's Day (Monday, 9 August 2027), Day of Goodwill (observed) (Monday, 27 December 2027).
Open the South Africa 2027 holiday list for the name of each day, or print a wall calendar from the studio. This page is not a payroll system.
Natural long weekends
New Year's Day
Friday — natural 3-day weekend. Friday 1 January 2027 is New Year’s Day, so South Africa starts 2027 with a three-day weekend.
Human Rights Day (observed)
Monday — natural 3-day weekend. Sunday 21 March 2027 is Human Rights Day. The Act adds Monday 22 March, which this list shows as a separate public holiday.
Good Friday
Friday — natural 3-day weekend. Friday 26 March 2027 is Good Friday, in the same week as the Human Rights Sunday-plus-Monday pair.
Family Day
Monday — natural 3-day weekend. Monday 29 March 2027 is Family Day. Late March 2027 therefore contains two public-holiday Mondays: 22 March and 29 March.
National Women's Day
Monday — natural 3-day weekend. Monday 9 August 2027 is National Women’s Day, already a natural long weekend. No extra Tuesday is required.
Heritage Day
Friday — natural 3-day weekend. Friday 24 September 2027 is Heritage Day, a three-day weekend without a substitute add-on.
Day of Goodwill (observed)
Monday — natural 3-day weekend. Sunday 26 December 2027 is Day of Goodwill. Monday 27 December appears as the added public holiday.
Print or go back to the holiday list
Read every South Africa 2027 public holiday on the holiday list, or open the South Africa 2027 studio to print. The working-days calculator uses this same list.