Long Weekends 2026 in South Africa
5 long weekends from public holidays, and the days to take off to stretch them further. Weekends here are Saturday and Sunday.
- Long weekends
- 5
- With 1–2 days off
- 4
- Best deal
- 4 days for 1
- Public holidays
- 13
Best days to take off
- 1Thu, Jan 1 – Sun, Jan 44 days for 1 day off · book Fri, Jan 2
- 2Sat, Jun 13 – Tue, Jun 164 days for 1 day off · book Mon, Jun 15
- 3Thu, Sep 24 – Sun, Sep 274 days for 1 day off · book Fri, Sep 25
- 4Sat, Dec 12 – Wed, Dec 165 days for 2 days off · book Mon, Dec 14 + Tue, Dec 15
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
- Public holiday
- Suggested day off
- Rest of the break
- Weekend
National holidays only. See the full list of South Africa public holidays in 2026.
Long weekends in 2026
- 4days
Fri, Apr 3 – Mon, Apr 6
Good Friday · Family Day
No leave needed
- 3days
Sat, Apr 25 – Mon, Apr 27
Freedom Day
No leave needed
- 3days
Fri, May 1 – Sun, May 3
Workers' Day
No leave needed
- 3days
Sat, Aug 8 – Mon, Aug 10
National Women's Day · Public Holiday
No leave needed
- 3days
Fri, Dec 25 – Sun, Dec 27
Christmas Day · Day of Goodwill
No leave needed
Take a day off, get more
- 4days
Thu, Jan 1 – Sun, Jan 4
New Year's Day
Take Fri, Jan 21 day of leave for 4 days off
- 4days
Sat, Jun 13 – Tue, Jun 16
Youth Day
Take Mon, Jun 151 day of leave for 4 days off
- 4days
Thu, Sep 24 – Sun, Sep 27
Heritage Day
Take Fri, Sep 251 day of leave for 4 days off
- 5days
Sat, Dec 12 – Wed, Dec 16
Day of Reconciliation
Take Mon, Dec 14 and Tue, Dec 152 days of leave for 5 days off
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Human Rights Day (Saturday, March 21); National Women's Day (Sunday, August 9); Day of Goodwill (Saturday, December 26) fall on a weekend in 2026, with no weekday given in place.
Questions
- How many long weekends are there in South Africa in 2026?
- 5 long weekends of three days or more come from public holidays alone. Taking one or two days of leave adds 4 more breaks.
- What are the best days to take off in 2026?
- Thu, Jan 1 – Sun, Jan 4: take 1 day off and you get 4 days in a row (New Year's Day).
- How are bridge days chosen?
- We look for breaks that need at most two days of leave, give at least four days in a row, and include a public holiday. They are ranked by days off per day of leave. Weekends are counted as Saturday and Sunday.
- Do regional holidays count?
- Only national public and bank holidays are included. States, provinces and employers may add more days, so check your local calendar before booking.
Long weekends in other countries (2026)
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