Long weekends in South Africa 2026 and 2027
South Africa has 6 long weekends in 2027 — breaks of three days or more around a public holiday. The best deal: take 1 day off and get 4 days in a row (Sat 24 Apr – Tue 27 Apr).
Long weekends in 2026
| Days off | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr 4 days | Good Friday, Family Day |
| Sat 25 Apr – Mon 27 Apr 3 days | Freedom Day |
| Fri 1 May – Sun 3 May 3 days | Workers' Day |
| Sat 8 Aug – Mon 10 Aug 3 days | National Women's Day |
| Fri 25 Dec – Sun 27 Dec 3 days | Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill |
Bridge days in 2026: take a few days off, get a longer break
| Take off | You get |
|---|---|
| Fri 2 Jan 1 day of leave | 4 days off: Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 JanNew Year's Day |
| Mon 30 Mar, Tue 31 Mar, Wed 1 Apr, Thu 2 Apr 4 days of leave | 10 days off: Sat 28 Mar – Mon 6 AprGood Friday, Family Day |
| Tue 28 Apr – Thu 30 Apr 3 days of leave | 9 days off: Sat 25 Apr – Sun 3 MayFreedom Day, Workers' Day |
| Mon 15 Jun 1 day of leave | 4 days off: Sat 13 Jun – Tue 16 JunYouth Day |
| Fri 25 Sep 1 day of leave | 4 days off: Thu 24 Sep – Sun 27 SepHeritage Day |
| Mon 28 Dec – Thu 31 Dec 4 days of leave | 10 days off: Fri 25 Dec – Sun 3 Jan 2027Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill, New Year's Day |
Long weekends in 2027
| Days off | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan – Sun 3 Jan 3 days | New Year's Day |
| Sat 20 Mar – Mon 22 Mar 3 days | Human Rights Day |
| Fri 26 Mar – Mon 29 Mar 4 days | Good Friday, Family Day |
| Sat 7 Aug – Mon 9 Aug 3 days | National Women's Day |
| Fri 24 Sep – Sun 26 Sep 3 days | Heritage Day |
| Sat 25 Dec – Mon 27 Dec 3 days | Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill |
Bridge days in 2027: take a few days off, get a longer break
| Take off | You get |
|---|---|
| Tue 23 Mar – Thu 25 Mar 3 days of leave | 10 days off: Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 MarHuman Rights Day, Good Friday, Family Day |
| Mon 26 Apr 1 day of leave | 4 days off: Sat 24 Apr – Tue 27 AprFreedom Day |
| Fri 17 Dec 1 day of leave | 4 days off: Thu 16 Dec – Sun 19 DecDay of Reconciliation |
A long weekend here is three or more days off in a row — weekends plus public holidays — that includes at least one holiday. A bridge is only listed when it gives at least two days off for every day of leave, plus the weekend. Local holidays kept in only part of South Africa are not counted. Past dates are greyed out.
All public holidays in South Africa · Working days · Printable 2026 calendar · Long weekends elsewhere
Worked out from our South Africa holiday list, checked against official sources. All sources.