School holidays and term dates in South Africa
As of : Term 4 2026 ends on Wednesday 9 December 2026; Term 1 2027 starts on Wednesday 13 January 2027.
The 2026 school year on (South African time)
- Term 4 2026
- 33 days to the December–January holidays. The last school day of Term 4 is ; school days left: 23 (Term 4 closes the 2026 school year).
- Public holiday ahead
- 39 days to Day of Reconciliation, on .
Taken from Government Gazette 52177, Notice 5901 of 25 February 2025: 2026 Calendar for public schools; Department of Basic Education: Published 2026 School Calendar; Government Gazette 52178, Notice 5902 of 25 February 2025: 2027 Calendar for public schools; Department of Basic Education: Published 2027 School Calendar; Government Gazette 55619, Notice 8081 of 23 October 2026: 2028 Calendar for public schools; gov.za: National Education Policy Act: 2028 Calendar for public schools; Department of Basic Education: Proposed 2028 School Calendar for public comments (a proposed calendar for public comment, not the published notice; listed as a cross-check only); gov.za: Public holidays in South Africa; Government Gazette 55352 (Regulation Gazette 12046), Proclamation Notice 346 of 8 September 2026: Declaration of 4 November 2026 as a public holiday; gov.za: Public Holidays Act: Declaration of the Fourth Day of November 2026 as Public Holiday throughout the Republic; Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. Saved copies last read on .
South African public schools follow a national calendar with four terms. Use the term dates, school holidays and public holidays to organise the school year.
School holidays 2027 at a glance
Four breaks follow the four terms of 2027; the longest is the December–January holidays (34 days).
| Holidays | Last school day | Days without school | School days start again | Length | Public holidays in the break |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March–April holidays | Sat 20 Mar to Mon 5 Apr | Term 2 | 17 days (11 weekdays) | Human Rights Day (Sun 21 Mar), Public holiday for Human Rights Day (Mon 22 Mar), Good Friday (Fri 26 Mar), Family Day (Mon 29 Mar) | |
| June–July holidays | Sat 26 Jun to Mon 19 Jul | Term 3 | 24 days (16 weekdays) | none | |
| September–October holidays | Thu 23 Sep to Mon 4 Oct | Term 4 | 12 days (8 weekdays) | Heritage Day (Fri 24 Sep) | |
| December–January holidays | Thu 9 Dec to Tue 11 JanDays for administration: Thu 9 to Fri 10 Dec and Mon 10 to Tue 11 Jan | Term 1 2028 | 34 days (24 weekdays) | Day of Reconciliation (Thu 16 Dec), Christmas Day (Sat 25 Dec), Day of Goodwill (Sun 26 Dec), Public holiday for Day of Goodwill (Mon 27 Dec), New Year’s Day (Sat 1 Jan) |
Taken from Government Gazette 52178, Notice 5902 of 25 February 2025: 2027 Calendar for public schools; Department of Basic Education: Published 2027 School Calendar; Government Gazette 55619, Notice 8081 of 23 October 2026: 2028 Calendar for public schools; gov.za: National Education Policy Act: 2028 Calendar for public schools; Department of Basic Education: Proposed 2028 School Calendar for public comments (a proposed calendar for public comment, not the published notice; listed as a cross-check only). Saved copies last read on .
The gov.za summary shows other 2027 dates
The gov.za school calendar summary shows the proposed dates of Term 3 and Term 4 for 2027, not the published ones. This site follows the dates in the published Government Gazette.
gov.za prints Term 3 as “20 July – 1 Oct” and Term 4 as “11 October – (8) 10 December”. The published Government Gazette 52178 prints Term 3 from 20 July 2027 to 22 September 2027 and Term 4 from 5 October 2027 to 8 December 2027. The gov.za figures are those of the proposed calendar: Government Gazette 51400, Notice 5429 of 15 October 2024: Call for comments, proposed 2027 school calendar.
By the gov.za figures the September–October holidays would be Saturday 2 October 2027 to Sunday 10 October 2027; by the published Gazette they are Thursday 23 September 2027 to Monday 4 October 2027, the dates on this page.
Every published year
- School holidays 2026 to 2028all breaks side by side
- School calendar 2026 to 2028all terms side by side
- School holidays 202628 Mar to 7 Apr, 27 Jun to 20 Jul, 24 Sep to 5 Oct, 10 Dec to 12 Jan
- School calendar 2026199 school days (Gazette: 200); Term 1 starts Wednesday 14 January 2026
- School holidays 202720 Mar to 5 Apr, 26 Jun to 19 Jul, 23 Sep to 4 Oct, 9 Dec to 11 Jan
- School calendar 2027197 school days; Term 1 starts Wednesday 13 January 2027
- School holidays 202818 Mar to 27 Mar, 15 Jun to 10 Jul, 23 Sep to 2 Oct, from 7 Dec
- School calendar 2028200 school days; Term 1 starts Wednesday 12 January 2028
- Public holidays 202614 public holiday dates in 2026, including 4 November, declared for the local government elections; one Sunday holiday adds a Monday public holiday (10 August); two fall on a Saturday.
- Public holidays 202714 public holiday dates in 2027; two Sunday holidays each add a Monday public holiday (22 March, 27 December); two fall on a Saturday.
- Public holidays 202813 public holiday dates in 2028; one Sunday holiday adds a Monday public holiday (25 September); two fall on a Saturday.
- Public holidays and the Sunday rule2026 to 2028, 41 dates
One calendar for the whole country
The Minister of Basic Education publishes one calendar in the Government Gazette for public schools in all nine provinces. Independent schools are not bound by the public school calendar. They set their own term dates.Questions people ask
- When do schools close for the year in 2027?
- The last school day of 2027 is Wednesday 8 December 2027, followed by days for administration until Friday 10 December 2027. School days of Term 1 2028 start on Wednesday 12 January 2028.
- How many school days are there in 2027?
- 2027 has 197 school days in four terms, from Wednesday 13 January 2027 to Wednesday 8 December 2027, as the Government Gazette counts them.
The Gazette notices and pages behind this page
- Government Gazette 52177, Notice 5901 of 25 February 2025: 2026 Calendar for public schools (copy saved )
- Department of Basic Education: Published 2026 School Calendar (copy saved )
- Government Gazette 52178, Notice 5902 of 25 February 2025: 2027 Calendar for public schools (copy saved )
- Department of Basic Education: Published 2027 School Calendar (copy saved )
- Government Gazette 55619, Notice 8081 of 23 October 2026: 2028 Calendar for public schools (copy saved )
- gov.za: National Education Policy Act: 2028 Calendar for public schools (copy saved )
- Department of Basic Education: Proposed 2028 School Calendar for public comments (a proposed calendar for public comment, not the published notice; listed as a cross-check only) (copy saved )
- gov.za: Public holidays in South Africa (copy saved )
- Government Gazette 55352 (Regulation Gazette 12046), Proclamation Notice 346 of 8 September 2026: Declaration of 4 November 2026 as a public holiday (copy saved )
- gov.za: Public Holidays Act: Declaration of the Fourth Day of November 2026 as Public Holiday throughout the Republic (copy saved )
- Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 (copy saved )
Each figure above was tested against saved copies of these papers, last read on . Should this page and the Government Gazette ever part ways, go by the Gazette. How each date is tested.