The current and proposed school holidays for South Africa.
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2022
The Department of Basic Education published the school calendar for 2022 on 28 May 2021.
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 | (10) 12 Jan - 17 Mar | 10 | 47 (49) | 0 | 47 (49) |
2 | 5 Apr – 24 Jun | 12 | 59 | 5+1 | 53 |
3 | 19 Jul – 30 Sept | 11 | 54 | 1+1 | 52 |
4 | 11 Oct – 14 (15) Dec | 10 | 47 (48) | 0 | 47 (48) |
| Total | 42 | 207 (210) | 6+2 | 199 (202) |
Coastalcluster: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Ntal, Northern Cape, Western Cape
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (17) 19 Jan - 25 Mar | 10 | 48 (50) | 1 | 47 (49) |
2 | 5 Apr – 24 Jun | 12 | 59 | 5+1 | 53 |
3 | 19 Jul – 30 Sept | 11 | 54 | 1+1 | 52 |
4 | 11 Oct – 14 (15) Dec | 10 | 47 (48) | 0 | 47 (48) |
| Total | 43 | 208 (211) | 7+2 | 199 (202) |
Public and School Holidays 2022
1 January: New Year’s Day
21 March: Human Rights Day
15 April: Good Friday
18 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
1 May: Workers’ Day
2 May: Public holiday (Workers’ Day observed)
16 June: Youth Day
17 June: School Holiday
8 August: School 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
27 December: Public holiday
Source: National Education Policy Act: Proposed 2022 school calendar for public schools [PDF]
2021
For the updated regulations go to Coronavirus - Education.
25 July 2021: Schools will be reopened on the 26th July 2021. The Cabinet member responsible for basic education may, in directions, further announce measures related to the management and reduction of risk at schools in the basic education sector, in order to address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19.
27 June 2021: Schools will start closing from Wednesday, 30 June. Public schools will come back from the winter vacation early, on 19 July 2021, instead of 26 July 2021 as it was originally scheduled in the 2021 School Calendar.
9 February 2021: Latest amended school calendar [PDF]
22 January 2021: Re-opening of schools for the 2021 Academic Year under Adjusted Alert Level 3 (Gazette 44096)
15 January 2021 update: The reopening of both public and private schools will be delayed with two weeks. This includes private schools that have reopened already. They will need to postpone their reopening to a later date.
The new dates for the reopening of private schools will vary depending on the calendar that they follow.
For public schools and private schools which follow the same calendar, changes are as follows:
- School Management Teams (SMTs) shall report for duty on Monday, 25 January 2021;
- Teachers shall follow on Monday, 01 February 2021; and
- Lastly, learners return on Monday, 15 February 2021.
The Department of Basic Education gazetted the updated 2021 school calendar on 16 February 2021 (Gazette 44162)
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (25 Jan) (01) 15 Feb – 23 Apr | (13) (12) 10 | (65) (60) 50 | 3 | (62) (57) 47 |
2 | 3 May – 9 Jul | 10 | 50 | 1 | 49 |
3 | 26 Jul – 01 Oct | 10 | 50 | 2 | 48 |
4 | 11 Oct – 15 (15) Dec | 10 | 48 (48) | 0 | 48 (48) |
| Total | (43) (42) 40 | (213) (208) 198 | 6 | (207) (202) 192 |
Public and School Holidays 2021
1 January: New Year’s Day
21 March: Human Rights Day
22 March: Public Holiday
02 April: Good Friday
05 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
26 April: School Holiday
1 May: Workers’ Day
16 June: Youth Day
9 August: National Women’s Day
24 September: Heritage Day
1 November: Local government elections
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of Goodwill
27 December: Public holidaySource: National Education Policy Act: 2021 school calendar for public schools [PDF]
2023
The Department of Basic Education published the school calendar for 2023 on 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) | 0 | 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) | 0 | 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
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of GoodwillSource: National Education Policy Act: 2023 school calendar for public schools [PDF]
2024
The Department of Basic Education published the school calendar for 2024 on 4 August 2022.
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) | 0 | 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) | 0 | 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: 2024 school calendar for public schools [PDF]
2025
The Department of Basic Education published the draft school calendar for 2025 on 4 August 2022.
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 | 4+3 | 52 |
3 | 22 Jul – 3 Oct | 11 | 54 | 1 | 53 |
4 | 13 Oct – 10 (12) Dec | 9 | 43 (45) | 0 | 43 (45) |
| Total | 43 | 209 (213) | 6+3 | 200 (204) |
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
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: Draft 2025 school calendar for public schools [PDF]