South Africa school holidays 2026
First day off
Schools close in 46 days — Wed 9 Dec 2026
Next holiday: Summer holiday, Thu 10 Dec 2026 – Tue 12 Jan 2027
Keep these dates
Verified against www.gov.za on Tue 8 Sep 2026. Checked by a second, independent extraction Where these dates come from
Independent schools may use different dates; check the school's own calendar.
2026
Terms 2026
School holidays, public holidays and recorded training days are excluded. Your school may set more training days, so pupils may attend fewer days. Check your school's calendar.
| Term | Starts | Ends | Weekdays in term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wed 14 Jan 2026 | Fri 27 Mar 2026 | 53 |
| Term 2 | Wed 8 Apr 2026 | Fri 26 Jun 2026 | 54 |
| Term 3 | Tue 21 Jul 2026 | Wed 23 Sep 2026 | 46 |
| Term 4 | Tue 6 Oct 2026 | Wed 9 Dec 2026 | 47 |
Holidays 2026
| Holiday | First day off | Last day off |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 holiday computed computed from published terms |
Mon 30 Mar 2026 | Tue 7 Apr 2026 |
| Term 2 holiday computed computed from published terms |
Mon 29 Jun 2026 | Mon 20 Jul 2026 |
| Term 3 holiday computed computed from published terms |
Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Mon 5 Oct 2026 |
| Summer holiday computed | Thu 10 Dec 2026 | Tue 12 Jan 2027 |
INSET and closure days 2026
| Term | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Day | Mon 27 Apr 2026 | Mon 27 Apr 2026 |
| Workers’ Day | Fri 1 May 2026 | Fri 1 May 2026 |
| Special School Holiday | Mon 15 Jun 2026 | Mon 15 Jun 2026 |
| Youth Day | Tue 16 Jun 2026 | Tue 16 Jun 2026 |
| Public Holiday | Mon 10 Aug 2026 | Mon 10 Aug 2026 |
2027 — next year, already published
Terms 2027
School holidays, public holidays and recorded training days are excluded. Your school may set more training days, so pupils may attend fewer days. Check your school's calendar.
| Term | Starts | Ends | Weekdays in term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wed 13 Jan 2027 | Fri 19 Mar 2027 | 48 |
| Term 2 | Tue 6 Apr 2027 | Fri 25 Jun 2027 | 56 |
| Term 3 | Tue 20 Jul 2027 | Wed 22 Sep 2027 | 46 |
| Term 4 | Tue 5 Oct 2027 | Wed 8 Dec 2027 | 47 |
Holidays 2027
| Holiday | First day off | Last day off |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 holiday computed computed from published terms |
Mon 22 Mar 2027 | Mon 5 Apr 2027 |
| Term 2 holiday computed computed from published terms |
Mon 28 Jun 2027 | Mon 19 Jul 2027 |
| Term 3 holiday computed computed from published terms |
Thu 23 Sep 2027 | Mon 4 Oct 2027 |
| Summer holiday computed tbc return date not yet published (usually published in September) |
Thu 9 Dec 2027 | — |
INSET and closure days 2027
| Term | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Special School Holiday | Mon 26 Apr 2027 | Mon 26 Apr 2027 |
| Freedom Day | Tue 27 Apr 2027 | Tue 27 Apr 2027 |
| Youth Day | Wed 16 Jun 2027 | Wed 16 Jun 2027 |
| National Women’s Day | Mon 9 Aug 2027 | Mon 9 Aug 2027 |
What's different about South Africa
- The longest exactly dated break in 2026 is the term 2 holiday (Mon 29 Jun 2026 – Mon 20 Jul 2026), with 16 weekdays off.
- Across the 3 exactly dated breaks in 2026, the calendar contains 31 weekdays off in total.
- The 2026 school year starts on Wed 14 Jan 2026; it ends on Wed 9 Dec 2026.
- Term 1 in South Africa has 53 weekdays in term. Dates: Wed 14 Jan 2026 – Fri 27 Mar 2026. School training days may reduce pupil attendance.
- South Africa schools break up for summer on Wed 9 Dec 2026.
- The source lists 5 pupil-free days (Freedom Day, Public Holiday, Special School Holiday, Workers’ Day, Youth Day): Mon 27 Apr 2026, Fri 1 May 2026, Mon 15 Jun 2026, Tue 16 Jun 2026, Mon 10 Aug 2026.
- TermMinder first recorded the 2026 dates in September 2026.
Who these dates apply to
These dates apply to public schools throughout South Africa.
Where these dates come from
Source: Department of Basic Education, 2026 calendar for public schools, Government Gazette No. 52177. www.gov.za
Verified against www.gov.za on Tue 8 Sep 2026. Checked by a second, independent extraction
Source text
SUMMARY OF 2026 CALENDAR FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS No. of No. of No. of public Actual no. of Term Duration weeks days holidays school days 1 (12) 14 January – 27 March 11 53 (55) 0 53 (55) 2 08 April – 26 June 12 58 3+1 54 3 21 July – 23 September 10 47 1 46 4 06 October – 09 (11) December 10 47 (49) 0 47(49) Total 43 205 (209) 4+1 200 (204) This gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za
Keep these dates
Open your saved calendars or find another school or authority.
Use a calendar subscription to check these dates alongside your own plans. Your calendar provider controls update timing.
Frequently asked questions
- When does the term 4 end in South Africa in 2026?
- Pupils break up on Wednesday 9 December 2026.
- When is the summer holiday 2026 in South Africa?
- The summer holiday in South Africa runs from Thursday 10 December 2026 to Tuesday 12 January 2027 inclusive.
- When do South Africa schools go back for the term 1 in January 2027?
- The term 1 in South Africa starts on Wednesday 13 January 2027.
- When does the term 1 end in South Africa in 2027?
- Pupils break up on Friday 19 March 2027.
- When is the term 1 holiday 2027 in South Africa?
- The term 1 holiday in South Africa runs from Monday 22 March 2027 to Monday 5 April 2027 inclusive.