The current and proposed school holidays for South Africa.
2020
2021
2022
2023
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 holiday
Source: National Education Policy Act: 2021 school calendar for public schools [PDF]
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]
2023
The Department of Basic Education published the draft school calendar for 2023 on 25 June 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 | (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) |
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 | (16) 18 Jan - 31Mar | 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 Goodwill
27 December: Public holiday
Source: National Education Policy Act: Proposed 2023 school calendar for public schools [PDF]
2020
National State of Disaster
Re-opening of schools
The Department of Basic Education published the consolidated examination timetable on 12 August 2020.
The Department of Basic Education published the amended school calendar for 2020 on 11 August 2020.
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (13) 15 Jan - 18 Mar | 10 | 48 (46) | 0 | 48 (46) |
2 | (1 Jun) 8 Jun - 24 Jul | 8 (7) | (40) 35 | 1 | (39) 34 |
3 | 24 Aug - 23 Oct | 9 | 45 | 1 | 44 |
4 | 2 Nov - 15 Dec | 7 | 32 | 0 | 32 |
| Total | (34) 33 | (165) 158 | 2 | (163) 156 |
All public schools will break from 27 July 2020 and the school arrangements after the break are as follows:
Week | Date | School arrangements after break |
1 | 27 - 31 Jul 2020 | - The principal and the School Management Team will determine the staffing requirements to ensure compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist with the distribution of learning material and the roll out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners. - The principal and the School Management Team must be on duty to make arrangements for the receipt of the learners anticipated in the weeks ahead. - Schools will remain open for feeding of qualifying learners in terms of the National School Nutrition Programme. |
2 | 3 – 7 Aug 2020 | - Grade 12 and Schools of Skill: Year 4 learners will return to school on 3 August 2020. - Grade 12 and Schools of Skill: Year 4 teachers (and teacher support staff) will return to school on 3 August 2020. - The principal and the School Management Team (as required) will be in attendance at school. - Officials (as identified by the principal and the School Management Team) will return to school on 3 August 2020, to assist in ensuring compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist in the distribution of learning material and the roll-out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners. |
3 | 11–14 Aug 2020 | - Grade 7 learners will return to school on 11 August 2020. - Grade 7 officials (and teacher support staff) will return to school on 11 August 2020. - The principal and the School Management Team (as required) will be in attendance at school. - Officials, who are at school, will assist in ensuring compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist in the distribution of learning material and the roll-out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners. |
4 | 17– 21 Aug 2020 | - All officials will report for duty on 17 August 2020 to prepare for the return of learners in the remaining grades. - Grade 7; Grade 12; and Schools of Skill: Year 4 learners and officials will already be at school. - Officials who are already at school will assist in ensuring compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist in the distribution of learning material and the roll-out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners. |
5 | 24 Aug 2020 | (a) Learners in the following grades, years or schools will return to school on 24 August 2020: - Grade R; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3; Grade 4; and Grade 6; -Grade 9; Grade 10; and Grade 11; - Schools of Skill: Year 1; Year 2; and Year 3; - Schools with Learners with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities (“LSPID”): Year 1; Year 2; and Year 3; - Schools for Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (“SID”): Grade R; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3; and final year (Occupational); and - Schools with autistic learners: Junior group (below 13 years); Senior Group (13 years and above); and final year (18 years and above). (b) The school must ensure compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements in accommodating this group of learners. |
| 6 | 31 Aug 2020 | Learners in the following grades or schools will return to school on 31 August 2020: - Grade 5 and Grade 8; and - Schools for Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (“SID”): Grade 4 and Grade 5. |
(Gazette 43372 of 29 May 2020 as amended by Gazette 43381 of 1 June 2020 and Gazette 43488 of 29 June 2020)
Schools were closed from Wednesday, 18 March and started re-opening from 1 June 2020. Schools were again closed from 27 July to 24 August.
School calendar (before Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic)
The Department of Basic Education published the school calendar for 2020 on 11 January 2018.
Term | Duration | Number of weeks | Number of days | Number of public holidays | Actual number of school days |
1 | (13) 15 Jan - 20 Mar | 10 | 48 (50) | 0 | 48 (50) |
2 | 31 Mar – 12 Jun | 11 | 54 | 4 | 50 |
3 | 7 Jul – 18 Sep | 11 | 54 | 1 | 53 |
4 | 29 Sep – 2 (4)Dec | 10 | 47 (49) | 0 | 47 (49) |
| Total | 42 | 203 (207) | 5 | 198 (202) |
Public and School Holidays 2020
1 January: New Year’s Day
21 March: Human Rights Day
10 April: Good Friday
13 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
1 May: Workers’ Day
16 June: Youth Day
9 August: National Women’s Day
10 August: Public Holiday
24 September: Heritage Day
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of GoodwillSource: National Education Policy Act: 2020 school calendar for public schools [PDF]