South African school terms and holidays.

Every term date and holiday for 2026 and 2027, plus the proposed 2028 calendar, taken straight from the Government Gazette. Same dates in every province.

202620272028proposed

Right now

Schools are in Term 4 of 2026.

The term ends on Wednesday 9 December 2026.

35days until the holidays

School terms 2026

Gazetted on 25 February 2025 in Government Gazette 52177. 200 school days for learners over 43 weeks.

Public school term dates for 2026, showing learner dates and the number of school days in each term.
TermLearners attendWeeksSchool days
Term 114 January to 27 March 2026Teachers 12 January to 27 March 20261153
Term 28 April to 26 June 20261254
Term 321 July to 23 September 20261046
Term 46 October to 9 December 2026Teachers 6 October to 11 December 20261047
Total43 weeks of school43200

School holidays 2026

The gaps between terms, counted from the first day off to the last.

Autumn holidays

28 March to 7 April 2026

11 days off. Schools reopen for Term 2.

Winter holidays

27 June to 20 July 2026

24 days off. Schools reopen for Term 3.

Spring holidays

24 September to 5 October 2026

12 days off. Schools reopen for Term 4.

Summer holidays

10 December 2026 to 12 January 2027

34 days off. Schools reopen for Term 1.

Public holidays 2026

  • New Year's Day1 January
  • Human Rights Day21 March
  • Good Friday3 April
  • Family Day6 April
  • Freedom Day27 April
  • Workers' Day1 May
  • Special school holidayschools only15 June
  • Youth Day16 June
  • National Women's Day9 August
  • Public holiday for National Women's Day10 August
  • Heritage Day24 September
  • Day of Reconciliation16 December
  • Christmas Day25 December
  • Day of Goodwill26 December
Government Gazette 52177 (PDF)

School terms 2027

Gazetted on 25 February 2025 in Government Gazette 52178. 197 school days for learners over 42 weeks.

Public school term dates for 2027, showing learner dates and the number of school days in each term.
TermLearners attendWeeksSchool days
Term 113 January to 19 March 2027Teachers 11 January to 19 March 20271048
Term 26 April to 25 June 20271256
Term 320 July to 22 September 20271046
Term 45 October to 8 December 2027Teachers 5 October to 10 December 20271047
Total42 weeks of school42197

School holidays 2027

The gaps between terms, counted from the first day off to the last.

Autumn holidays

20 March to 5 April 2027

17 days off. Schools reopen for Term 2.

Winter holidays

26 June to 19 July 2027

24 days off. Schools reopen for Term 3.

Spring holidays

23 September to 4 October 2027

12 days off. Schools reopen for Term 4.

Summer holidays

9 December 2027 to 11 January 2028

34 days off. Schools reopen for Term 1.

Public holidays 2027

  • New Year's Day1 January
  • Human Rights Day21 March
  • Public holiday for Human Rights Day22 March
  • Good Friday26 March
  • Family Day29 March
  • Special school holidayschools only26 April
  • Freedom Day27 April
  • Workers' Day1 May
  • Youth Day16 June
  • National Women's Day9 August
  • Heritage Day24 September
  • Day of Reconciliation16 December
  • Christmas Day25 December
  • Day of Goodwill26 December
  • Public holiday for Day of Goodwill27 December
Government Gazette 52178 (PDF)

School terms 2028

Proposed, not final

Published for public comment on 4 November 2025 in Government Gazette 53626. These dates can still change before the final notice is gazetted.

Public school term dates for 2028, showing learner dates and the number of school days in each term.
TermLearners attendWeeksSchool days
Term 112 January to 17 March 2028Teachers 10 January to 17 March 20281048
Term 228 March to 14 June 20281252
Term 311 July to 22 September 20281153
Term 43 October to 6 December 2028Teachers 3 October to 8 December 20281047
Total43 weeks of school43200

School holidays 2028

The gaps between terms, counted from the first day off to the last.

Autumn holidays

18 March to 27 March 2028

10 days off. Schools reopen for Term 2.

Winter holidays

15 June to 10 July 2028

26 days off. Schools reopen for Term 3.

Spring holidays

23 September to 2 October 2028

10 days off. Schools reopen for Term 4.

Public holidays 2028

  • New Year's Day1 January
  • Human Rights Day21 March
  • Good Friday14 April
  • Family Day17 April
  • Freedom Day27 April
  • Special school holidayschools only28 April
  • Workers' Day1 May
  • Youth Day16 June
  • National Women's Day9 August
  • Heritage Day24 September
  • Public holiday for Heritage Day25 September
  • Day of Reconciliation16 December
  • Christmas Day25 December
  • Day of Goodwill26 December
Government Gazette 53626 (PDF)

Where these dates come from

Every date on this page is transcribed from the Government Gazette notices the Department of Basic Education publishes under the National Education Policy Act, 1996. Each PDF is linked above so you can check it yourself.

This matters more than it should. The summary table on gov.za lists Term 3 of 2027 as ending on 1 October and Term 4 as starting on 11 October. The gazette says 22 September and 5 October, a difference of nine days. The gazette is right: its week and day counts add up to the published yearly totals, and the gov.za figures for those two terms are the 2025 calendar's rows repeated by mistake. We test every term on this page against the number of weekdays between its dates, so a bad date cannot ship unnoticed.

One more thing worth knowing: there is no longer an Inland and Coastal split. Public schools in all nine provinces run the same term dates.

School calendar questions

When do schools close for the holidays?

In 2026 schools close on 27 March, 26 June, 23 September and 9 December. In 2027 they close on 19 March, 25 June, 22 September and 8 December. Those are the last days learners attend. Teachers stay on for administration days at the end of the fourth term.

When do schools open again?

Learners go back on 8 April, 21 July and 6 October in 2026, and the 2027 school year starts on 13 January. In 2027 they go back on 6 April, 20 July and 5 October.

What are the school terms in South Africa?

The public school year runs over four terms. Term 1 runs from January to March, Term 2 from April to June, Term 3 from July to September and Term 4 from October to early December. That works out to about 200 school days a year.

Are school holidays different in Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape?

No. Public schools follow one national calendar, so the term dates are the same in every province. There used to be an Inland and Coastal split with different start and end dates, but the gazetted calendars for 2025, 2026 and 2027 have a single set of dates nationally.

Do private schools follow the same dates?

Not always. Independent schools set their own terms and often start earlier and finish later than public schools. Many are ISASA members and publish their own calendar. Check directly with the school before booking anything around the public dates on this page.

Why do teachers go back before learners?

The calendar sets aside administration days at the start and end of the year. In 2026 teachers report on 12 January and learners on 14 January, and teachers finish on 11 December while learners finish on 9 December. The gazette prints those teacher dates in brackets.

Is the 2028 school calendar final?

Not yet. The Department of Basic Education published a proposed 2028 calendar in November 2025 for public comment. The dates on this page are the proposal, so treat them as a plan rather than a fixed date until the final notice is gazetted.

How many school days are there in a year?

There are 200 school days for learners in 2026 and 197 in 2027, once public holidays inside the terms are taken off. Teachers work a few days more than that: 204 in 2026 and 201 in 2027.

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