Here’s why South Africans LOSE two public holidays in 2026

If you’re already planning your 2026 calendar and feeling shortchanged, you’re not imagining things.

While South Africa officially has 12 public holidays every year, 2026 throws a spanner in the works with two of those precious days off falling on Saturdays, and unlike Sundays, Saturday public holidays don’t get shifted to another day.

Not that I’m being smug or anything, but for us South African expats in the UK, eight bank holidays a year is all we get.

Which two public holidays will be lost in 2026?

Human Rights Day – Saturday, 21 March

South Africa’s commemoration of the Sharpeville Massacre will fall on a Saturday, meaning those who work Monday to Friday won’t get a compensatory day off during the week.

Day of Goodwill – Saturday, 26 December

Boxing Day also lands on a Saturday, cutting into the festive season break for many South Africans who don’t work weekends.

Why Saturday public holidays don’t count

Here’s where it gets interesting.

The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) contains a specific provision for public holidays that fall on Sundays: “Whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following on it shall be a public holiday.”

Sounds fair, right? The problem is there’s no equivalent rule for Saturdays.

This means when National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August 2026, South Africans will get Monday, 10 August off as compensation.

But Human Rights Day and Day of Goodwill?

No such luck.

The working day count for 2026

Let’s break down the numbers:

• Official public holidays: 12
• Falling on weekdays: 9
• Falling on Sunday (with Monday substitute): 1 (National Women’s Day to 10 August substitute)
• Falling on Saturday (no substitute): 2 (Human Rights Day, Day of Goodwill)
• Total working days off: 10

For the standard Monday-to-Friday worker, that’s two fewer days off compared to a year when all holidays fall on weekdays or Sundays.

The silver lining: Long weekends still abound

Despite losing two working days to Saturdays, 2026 still offers several excellent long weekend opportunities:

• Easter Weekend: Four days (3-6 April)
• Freedom Day: Three days (25-27 April)
• Workers’ Day: Three days (1-3 May)
• Women’s Day: Three days (9-10 August)
• Christmas: Three days (25-27 December)

Strategic leave-taking around Heritage Day (Thursday, 24 September) and New Year’s Day (Thursday, 1 January) can also create extended breaks.

Could the law change?

There have been occasional discussions about amending the Public Holidays Act to include a Saturday substitute provision, similar to the Sunday rule.

However, no changes have been implemented to date, and none are expected for 2026.

Make the most of what you’ve got

After all, 10 public holidays is still generous by international standards.

For those of us South African expats in the UK, we only get eight bank holidays a year.

You need to feel for the South African expats in the United States, they get zero federally mandated paid public holidays, while many European countries offer between 10-13 days.