School holidays 2027
Public schools have four breaks in 2027: 20 March to 5 April 2027 (17 days), 26 June to 19 July 2027 (24 days), 23 September to 4 October 2027 (12 days), 9 December 2027 to 11 January 2028 (34 days).
The four breaks
| 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 days for administration in the table are explained with the term dates on the school calendar 2027 page.
Add the 2027 school calendar to your calendar The calendar file uses the .ics format. Import it into a phone or computer calendar to add the dates.
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.
What sets 2027 apart
- The longest break with a published end is the December–January holidays (34 days); the shortest is the September–October holidays (12 days).
- Easter falls in the March–April holidays in 2027: Good Friday is Friday 26 March 2027 and Family Day Monday 29 March 2027, so neither costs a school day.
- The special school holiday of 2027 is Monday 26 April 2027, together with Freedom Day (Tuesday): learners at public schools have four days in a row without school, from Saturday 24 April 2027 to Tuesday 27 April 2027.
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); gov.za: Public holidays in South Africa. Saved copies last read on .
School days off inside the terms
Four weekdays inside the 2027 terms are days off for public schools, so the year has 197 school days rather than 201.
| Date | Why | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Special school holiday | Term 2 | |
| Freedom Day | Term 2 | |
| Youth Day | Term 2 | |
| National Women’s Day | Term 3 |
Taken from Government Gazette 52178, Notice 5902 of 25 February 2025: 2027 Calendar for public schools; gov.za: Public holidays in South Africa. Saved copies last read on .
Questions people ask
- When do schools close for the year-end holidays in 2027?
- The last school day of 2027 is Wednesday 8 December 2027. School days of Term 1 2028 start on Wednesday 12 January 2028.
- Which weekdays inside the 2027 terms have no school?
- Four weekdays: the special school holiday (Monday 26 April 2027, Term 2); Freedom Day (Tuesday 27 April 2027, Term 2); Youth Day (Wednesday 16 June 2027, Term 2); National Women’s Day (Monday 9 August 2027, Term 3).
- Is 26 April 2027 a public holiday?
- No. The Gazette names Monday 26 April 2027 a special school holiday: public schools are closed, but it is not a public holiday for employers.
The Gazette notices and pages behind this page
- 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 )
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.