South Africa has a total of 41 holidays in 2018. In the table below, you will find the details of the holidays and when they are observed. All the information display below is also available via our API as well as downloadable as a csv. Signup here to get started.

These dates may be modified as official changes are announced, so please check back regularly for updates or sign up for our newsletter to receive regular updates. All updates are automatically added to our API as well.

Our API allows you to specify the State and Region as part of the API requests, thereby limiting the requests to a particular state or city. View the API documentation for a full description of the supported countries, states and regions.

Holiday	Date	Details
New Year's Day	Monday, January 1, 2018	New Year’s Day is celebrated with a blend of both diversity and tradition in countries such as South Africa on January 1 each year.
Tweede Nuwe Jaar	Tuesday, January 2, 2018	Tweede Nuwe Jaar is a observance in South Africa
Maha Shivaratri	Tuesday, February 13, 2018	Maha Shivratri is an annual festival dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction. For devotees, is a day of reflection and meditation.
Armed Forces Day	Wednesday, February 21, 2018	Armed Forces Day is a observance in South Africa
Holi	Friday, March 2, 2018	Holi is a spring festival of colors celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and others. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the upcoming season of spring. The festival can last up to sixteen days.
March Equinox	Tuesday, March 20, 2018	March Equinox in South Africa (Johannesburg)
Human Rights Day	Wednesday, March 21, 2018	Human Rights Day is a public holiday in South Africa
Good Friday	Friday, March 30, 2018	Good Friday is a global Christian observance two days before Easter Sunday.
Holy Saturday	Saturday, March 31, 2018	Holy Saturday is the day before Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday	Sunday, April 1, 2018	Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ’s resurrection, according to Christian belief.
Family Day	Monday, April 2, 2018	Family Day is a public holiday in South Africa
Isra and Mi'raj	Friday, April 13, 2018	Isra and Mi'raj (Isra Me'raj, Israa and Mi'raaj, Laylat Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj, Lailat al Miraj, Night Journey and Ascension to Heaven) marks the night that the Prophet Mohammad traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem, ascended to heaven and returned.
Freedom Day	Friday, April 27, 2018	Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa
Workers' Day	Tuesday, May 1, 2018	Labor Day, International Workers' Day, and May Day, is a day off for workers in many countries around the world.
Mother's Day	Sunday, May 13, 2018	Mother’s Day celebrates the achievements and efforts of mothers and mother figures.
Ramadan Start	Wednesday, May 16, 2018	Ramadan is a period of prayer, reflection and fasting for many Muslims worldwide. It is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.
Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power)	Sunday, June 10, 2018	Laylat al-Qadr commmemorates the time when Mohammad received the first verses of the Koran (Qu'ran).
Eid ul Fitr	Friday, June 15, 2018	Eid al-Fitr is a holiday to mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast during the hours of daylight.
Youth Day	Saturday, June 16, 2018	Youth Day is a public holiday in South Africa
Father's Day	Sunday, June 17, 2018	Father’s Day celebrates fatherhood and male parenting on different dates worldwide.
June Solstice	Thursday, June 21, 2018	June Solstice in South Africa (Johannesburg)
Nelson Mandela Day	Wednesday, July 18, 2018	Nelson Mandela Day is a observance in South Africa
National Women's Day	Thursday, August 9, 2018	National Women's Day is a public holiday in South Africa
Eid al-Adha	Wednesday, August 22, 2018	Eid al-Adha (Id ul-Adha) is an Islamic festival falling on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (Thou al-Hijja) to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son.
Raksha Bandhan	Sunday, August 26, 2018	Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that is celebrated on the full moon of the Hindu month of Shravana (Shravan Poornima). The day is also sometimes referred to as Brother and Sister Day because it honors the relationship between brother and sister.
Janmashtami	Sunday, September 2, 2018	Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrava (Bhadrapada), which is usually in August or September.
Muharram/Islamic New Year	Tuesday, September 11, 2018	Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and a time of remembrance or mourning.
Ganesh Chaturthi	Wednesday, September 12, 2018	Ganesh Chaturthi is the great Ganesha festival that celebrates the birthday of Lord Ganesha during the Hindu Month of Bhadra, which usually falls between mid-August and mid-September. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi and can last up to 10 days.
September Equinox	Sunday, September 23, 2018	September Equinox in South Africa (Johannesburg)
Heritage Day	Monday, September 24, 2018	Heritage Day is a public holiday in South Africa
Navaratri	Tuesday, October 9, 2018	Navaratri is a Hindu holiday in South Africa
Dussehra	Thursday, October 18, 2018	Dussehra is a Hindu holiday in South Africa
Diwali/Deepavali	Tuesday, November 6, 2018	Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals.
Milad un Nabi (Mawlid)	Tuesday, November 20, 2018	Mawlid, or Milad, marks the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammed, or Mohamed, in the year 570 of the Gregorian calendar.
Day of Reconciliation	Sunday, December 16, 2018	Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa
Day off for Day of Reconciliation	Monday, December 17, 2018	Day of Reconciliation is a public holiday in South Africa
December Solstice	Friday, December 21, 2018	December Solstice in South Africa (Johannesburg)
Christmas Eve	Monday, December 24, 2018	Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas Day and falls on December 24 in the Gregorian calendar.
Christmas Day	Tuesday, December 25, 2018	Christmas Day is one of the biggest Christian celebrations and falls on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar.
Day of Goodwill	Wednesday, December 26, 2018	Day of Goodwill is a public holiday in South Africa
New Year's Eve	Monday, December 31, 2018	New Year’s Eve is the last day of the year, December 31, in the Gregorian calendar.