Is this weekend a long weekend in South Africa?

Check the countdown banner at the top of this page to see when the next long weekend is. Long weekends occur when a public holiday falls near a weekend, creating 3 or more consecutive days off.

When is the next long weekend in South Africa?

The next long weekend countdown is shown at the top of this page. South Africa typically has 6-8 long weekends per year, depending on which days public holidays fall on.

How many long weekends are there in 2026?

The number of long weekends varies each year based on which days public holidays fall. Use the year selector above to see all long weekends for any year. Some long weekends are free (no leave needed) while others require bridge days.

What is a bridge day?

A bridge day is a working day between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking leave on bridge days, you can extend a long weekend into an even longer break. For example, if a holiday falls on Thursday, taking Friday off bridges the gap to Saturday.

Is Good Friday a long weekend in South Africa?

Yes! Good Friday combined with Family Day (Easter Monday) creates one of the best long weekends in South Africa - a 4-day break from Friday to Monday with no leave required.

Which long weekends require no leave days?

Use the filter above to see all long weekends. Those marked as "Free" require no leave days - the holiday naturally extends the weekend to 3+ days.

Long Weekends 2026

Plan your leave around public holidays for maximum time off

Next Long Weekend

Youth Day

13 Jun - 16 Jun

41 days until

Long Weekends

Free (No Leave Needed)

Need Bridge Days

January 2026

New Year's Day

01 Jan - 04 Jan

4-day break with New Year's Day (take 1 leave day)

4 days

1 leave day needed

April 2026

Good Friday & Family Day

03 Apr - 06 Apr

4-day weekend with Good Friday & Family Day

4 days

Freedom Day & Workers' Day

27 Apr - 01 May

5-day weekend with Freedom Day & Workers' Day

5 days

June 2026

Youth Day

13 Jun - 16 Jun

4-day break with Youth Day (take 1 leave day)

4 days

1 leave day needed

August 2026

National Women's Day

08 Aug - 10 Aug

3-day weekend with National Women's Day

3 days

September 2026

Heritage Day

24 Sept - 27 Sept

4-day break with Heritage Day (take 1 leave day)

4 days

1 leave day needed

December 2026

Day of Reconciliation

13 Dec - 18 Dec

6-day break with Day of Reconciliation (take 2 leave days)

6 days

2 leave days needed

How are long weekends calculated in South Africa?

Long weekends occur when a public holiday falls adjacent to a weekend, creating 3 or more consecutive days off. Bridge days are working days between a holiday and a weekend — taking leave on these extends your break further. This tool calculates all combinations automatically across every public holiday in the selected year, including which are free and which need leave.

All Public Holidays Holiday Checker Leave Optimizer

View school term dates for your province

All 9 provinces follow the same unified national school calendar since 2024.

GPGauteng WCW. Cape KZNKZN ECE. Cape LPLimpopo MPMpuma.NWN. West FSFree State NCN. Cape

Long Weekends 2026

Youth Day

January 2026

New Year's Day

April 2026

Good Friday & Family Day

Freedom Day & Workers' Day

June 2026

Youth Day

August 2026

National Women's Day

September 2026

Heritage Day

December 2026

Day of Reconciliation

How are long weekends calculated in South Africa?

View school term dates for your province

Frequently Asked Questions