The current and proposed school holidays for South Africa.
2023
2024
2025
2026
2023
The Department of Basic Education published theschool calendar for 2023on 18 March 2022.
Inland cluster: Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (09) 11 Jan - 24 Mar | 11 | 53(55) | 1+1 | 51 (53) |
2 | 12 Apr – 23 Jun | 11 | 53 | 3+1 | 49 |
3 | 18 Jul – 29 Sept | 11 | 54 | 2 | 52 |
4 | 10 Oct – 13 (15) Dec | 10 | 47 (49) | 47 (49) | |
Total | 43 | 207(211) | 6+2 | 199 (203) |
Coastal cluster: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (16) 18 Jan - 31 Mar | 11 | 53(55) | 1+1 | 51(53) |
2 | 12 Apr – 23 Jun | 11 | 53 | 3+1 | 49 |
3 | 18 Jul – 29 Sept | 11 | 54 | 2 | 52 |
4 | 10 Oct – 13 (15) Dec | 10 | 47 (49) | 47 (49) | |
Total | 43 | 207 (211) | 6+2 | 199 (203) |
Public and School Holidays 2023
1 January: New Year’s Day
2 January: Public holiday
20 March: Special school holiday
21 March: Human Rights Day
7 April: Good Friday
10 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
28 April:Special school holiday
1 May: Workers’ Day
16 June: Youth Day
9 August: National Women’s Day
24 September: Heritage Day
25 September: Public holiday
15 December:Declared by President Ramaphosa on 30 Octoberincelebration of the Springboks’ momentous achievement and the achievements of all our other sports men and women.We declare this to be a day of hope, a day of celebration and unity.
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of Goodwill
Source: National Education Policy Act: 2023school calendar for public schools[PDF]
2024
The Department of Basic Education published theschool calendar for 2024on 4 August2022.
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (15) 17 Jan - 20 Mar | 10 | 46 (48) | 46 (48) | |
2 | 3 Apr – 14 Jun | 11 | 53 | 1+0 | 52 |
3 | 9 Jul – 20 Sept | 11 | 54 | 1+0 | 53 |
4 | 1 Oct – 11 (13) Dec | 11 | 52 (54) | 52 (54) | |
Total | 43 | 205(209) | 2+0 | 203 (207) |
Public and School Holidays 2024
1 January: New Year’s Day
21 March: Human Rights Day
29 March: Good Friday
1 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
1 May: Workers’ Day
16 June: Youth Day
17 June: Public holiday
9 August: National Women’s Day
24 September: Heritage Day
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of Goodwill
Source: National Education Policy Act: 2024school calendar for public schools[PDF]
2025
The Department of Basic Education published theschool calendar for 2025on 31 January 2023.
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (13) 15 Jan - 28 Mar | 11 | 53 (55) | 1 | 52 (54) |
2 | 8 Apr – 27 Jun | 12 | 59 | 5+3 | 51 |
3 | 22 Jul – 3 Oct | 11 | 54 | 1 | 53 |
4 | 13 Oct – 10 (12) Dec | 9 | 43 (45) | 43 (45) | |
Total | 43 | 209(213) | 7+3 | 199 (203) |
Public and School Holidays 2025
1 January: New Year’s Day
21 March: Human Rights Day
18 April: Good Friday
21 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
28 April: Freedom Day observed
29 April: Special school holiday
30 April:Special school holiday
1 May: Workers’ Day
2 May:Special school holiday
16 June: Youth Day
9 August: National Women’s Day
24 September: Heritage Day
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of Goodwill
Source: National Education Policy Act: 2025school calendar for public schools[PDF]
2026
The Department of Basic Education published thedraft school calendar for 2026on 31 January 2023.
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (12) 14 Jan - 27 Mar | 11 | 53 (55) | 53(55) | |
2 | 8 Apr – 26 Jun | 12 | 58 | 3+1 | 54 |
3 | 21 Jul – 2 Oct | 11 | 54 | 2+1 | 51 |
4 | 13 Oct – 9 (11) Dec | 9 | 42(44) | 42 (44) | |
Total | 43 | 207(211) | 5+2 | 200(204) |
Public and School Holidays 2026
1 January: New Year’s Day
21 March: Human Rights Day
3 April: Good Friday
6 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
1 May: Workers’ Day
15 June:Special school holiday
16 June: Youth Day
9 August: National Women’s Day
10 August:National Women’s Day observed
24 September: Heritage Day
25 September:Special school holiday
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of Goodwill
Source: National Education Policy Act: Draft 2026school calendar for public schools[PDF]
Greetings, I'm an educational calendar expert with a deep understanding of South Africa's school holidays and academic schedules. My expertise in this area is grounded in comprehensive knowledge and a keen interest in educational policies and systems. Allow me to demonstrate my proficiency by dissecting the provided information on the school calendars for South Africa from 2023 to 2026.
Key Concepts:
-
Inland and Coastal Clusters:
- South Africa is divided into two clusters for school scheduling: Inland (Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West) and Coastal (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape).
- Both clusters follow a similar academic structure in terms of terms, durations, and holidays.
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School Terms and Duration:
- Each academic year consists of four terms, with varying start and end dates.
- The duration of each term is approximately 11 to 13 weeks.
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Public Holidays and Special School Holidays:
- Public holidays are observed nationwide, including New Year’s Day, Human Rights Day, Good Friday, Family Day, Freedom Day, Workers’ Day, Youth Day, National Women’s Day, Heritage Day, Day of Reconciliation, Christmas Day, and Day of Goodwill.
- Special school holidays, unique to certain years, are also mentioned.
-
Number of School Days:
- The academic year is broken down into a specific number of school days, excluding weekends and holidays.
- The actual number of school days can vary between 199 and 213, depending on the year and cluster.
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Department of Basic Education:
- The school calendars are published by the Department of Basic Education, emphasizing the official nature of the schedules.
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Draft School Calendar:
- The 2026 calendar is presented as a draft, indicating a preliminary schedule subject to potential changes.
Specific Years:
-
2023:
- School calendar published on 18 March 2022.
- Inland and Coastal clusters follow the same schedule.
-
2024:
- School calendar published on 4 August 2022.
- Similar structure to 2023, with variations in dates.
-
2025:
- School calendar published on 31 January 2023.
- Introduction of additional special school holidays.
-
2026:
- Draft school calendar published on 31 January 2023.
- Notable changes in the duration of terms and the inclusion of special school holidays.
This detailed analysis reflects my comprehensive knowledge of South Africa's educational calendar, demonstrating the evolution of school schedules over the specified years. If you have any further inquiries or require more detailed insights, feel free to ask.
