2026 School Calendar for Public Schools in South Africa

Calendar

South Africa Public School Calendar 2026

The calendar below shows public-school days, school holidays, public holidays, the Special School Holiday, educator administration days and the exact opening and closing date of every 2026 school term.

4 Public-school terms
43 Official school-calendar weeks
200 Actual learner school days
204 Educator school/admin days
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
School day School holiday Weekend Public holiday Special School Holiday Educator administration Term starts Term ends

January 2026

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 PH 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 ADM 13 ADM 14 T1 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Important days in January
  • 1 January New Year’s Day

    National public holiday during the summer school holiday.

  • 12–13 January Educator administration

    Educators report before learners start the year.

  • 14 January Term 1 starts

    First learner school day of 2026.

February 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Important days in February
  • February Full Term 1 teaching month

    No national public holiday interrupts the public-school term.

March 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 PH
22 23 24 25 26 27 END 28
29 30 31
Important days in March
  • 21 March Human Rights Day

    Falls on Saturday in 2026, so it does not remove a weekday school day.

  • 27 March Term 1 ends

    The first main learner school holiday begins after school.

April 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 PH 4
5 6 PH 7 8 T2 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 PH 28 29 30
Important days in April
  • 3 April Good Friday

    Falls during the Term 1 school holiday.

  • 6 April Family Day

    Falls during the school holiday.

  • 8 April Term 2 starts

    Public schools reopen after the autumn break.

  • 27 April Freedom Day

    National public holiday during Term 2.

May 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 PH 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Important days in May
  • 1 May Workers’ Day

    Friday public holiday during Term 2.

June 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 SH 16 PH 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 END 27
28 29 30
Important days in June
  • 15 June Special School Holiday

    This is a public-school closure, not a national public holiday.

  • 16 June Youth Day

    National public holiday.

  • 26 June Term 2 ends

    The winter school holiday begins after this date.

July 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 T3 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
Important days in July
  • 1–20 July Winter school holiday

    Learners remain on the mid-year school break.

  • 21 July Term 3 starts

    Public schools reopen.

August 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 PH 10 PH 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
Important days in August
  • 9 August National Women’s Day

    Falls on Sunday in 2026.

  • 10 August Observed public holiday

    Monday is also a public holiday because National Women’s Day falls on Sunday.

September 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 END 24 PH 25 26
27 28 29 30
Important days in September
  • 23 September Term 3 ends

    The spring school holiday begins after this date.

  • 24 September Heritage Day

    Falls during the school break.

October 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3
4 5 6 T4 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Important days in October
  • 1–5 October Spring school holiday

    Learners remain on the break between Terms 3 and 4.

  • 6 October Term 4 starts

    The final public-school term of 2026 begins.

November 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
Important days in November
  • November Full Term 4 teaching month

    No national public holiday interrupts the public-school term.

December 2026

SuMoTuWeThFrSa
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 END 10 ADM 11 ADM 12
13 14 15 16 PH 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 PH 26 PH
27 28 29 30 31
Important days in December
  • 9 December Learners finish

    Final learner school day of 2026.

  • 10–11 December Educator administration

    Educators remain for year-end administration.

  • 16 December Day of Reconciliation

    National public holiday.

  • 25 December Christmas Day

    National public holiday.

  • 26 December Day of Goodwill

    National public holiday; it falls on Saturday.

Quick Answer

The official 2026 South African public-school calendar has four terms. Learners start Term 1 on 14 January, Term 2 on 8 April, Term 3 on 21 July, and Term 4 on 6 October. Learners finish on 9 December 2026. Educators report on 12 January and finish after administration on 11 December. The official calendar provides 200 actual learner school days.

The 2026 School Calendar for Public Schools in South Africa applies to public schools across all nine provinces. The final calendar was formally published under the National Education Policy Act.

There is one national set of public-school term dates for 2026. There is no separate inland and coastal public-school calendar.

One important point is the way dates appear in brackets in the official calendar. The official Term 1 date is shown as (12) 14 January – 27 March, while Term 4 is shown as 6 October – 09 (11) December.

Those bracketed dates relate to educator administration days. They do not represent separate Grade R opening and closing dates.

2026 Public School Term Dates

Term 1 14 January – 27 March

Educators report on 12 January and use 12–13 January for administration before learners start.

Term 2 8 April – 26 June

Includes Freedom Day, Workers’ Day, the Special School Holiday on 15 June and Youth Day on 16 June.

Term 3 21 July – 23 September

Includes the 10 August public holiday because National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August.

Term 4 6 October – 9 December

Learners finish on 9 December. Educators remain for administration on 10 and 11 December.

Term Learner dates Weeks Scheduled weekdays Holiday impact Actual learner school days
Term 1 14 January – 27 March 11 53 0 53
Term 2 8 April – 26 June 12 58 3 public holidays + 1 Special School Holiday 54
Term 3 21 July – 23 September 10 47 1 public holiday 46
Term 4 6 October – 9 December 10 47 0 47
Total 4 terms 43 205 5 term-impact days 200

What Do (12) 14 January and 09 (11) December Mean?

The Government Gazette writes Term 1 as:

(12) 14 January – 27 March

Term 4 is written as:

6 October – 09 (11) December

The bracketed dates are educator administration dates.

Educators report on Monday, 12 January. Learners start on Wednesday, 14 January. Learners finish on Wednesday, 9 December. Educators remain for administration on 10 and 11 December.

This also explains why the official calendar shows 53 (55) days for Term 1 and 47 (49) days for Term 4.

The ordinary figure refers to the learner calendar. The figure in brackets includes the additional educator administration days.

The bracketed dates are not Grade R dates.

They should not be interpreted as separate Grade R opening or closing dates.

How Many School Days Are There in 2026?

The official calendar provides 200 actual learner school days across 43 weeks.

Before public and special school holidays are deducted, the four terms contain 205 scheduled learner weekdays.

For educators, the official calendar totals 204 actual school and administration days.

Group Scheduled days Actual days
Learners 205 200
Educators 209 including administration days 204
Use “actual learner school days” rather than calling all 205 days teaching days.

Five scheduled term weekdays are removed by public or special school holidays.

2026 School Holiday and Break Periods

Break Starts Ends Learners return Length
Start-of-year summer break Continues from 2025 13 January 14 January Until learner reopening
Term 1 / autumn break 28 March 7 April 8 April 11 calendar days
Winter break 27 June 20 July 21 July 24 calendar days
Spring break 24 September 5 October 6 October 12 calendar days
Year-end learner holiday 10 December Continues into 2027 Use the official 2027 calendar Year-end break

See the South Africa School Holidays Calendar 2026 for a holiday-focused guide.

Public Holidays and Special School Holiday in 2026

Date Day Holiday School effect
1 January Thursday New Year’s Day Summer school holiday
21 March Saturday Human Rights Day No weekday school-day impact
3 April Friday Good Friday Term 1 school holiday
6 April Monday Family Day Term 1 school holiday
27 April Monday Freedom Day Schools closed during Term 2
1 May Friday Workers’ Day Schools closed during Term 2
15 June Monday Special School Holiday School-only closure
16 June Tuesday Youth Day Schools closed during Term 2
9 August Sunday National Women’s Day Sunday
10 August Monday National Women’s Day observed Schools closed during Term 3
24 September Thursday Heritage Day Falls after Term 3 has ended
16 December Wednesday Day of Reconciliation Year-end school holiday
25 December Friday Christmas Day Year-end school holiday
26 December Saturday Day of Goodwill Year-end school holiday

Why Are Public Schools Closed on 15 June 2026?

Monday, 15 June 2026 is an official Special School Holiday.

It is immediately followed by Youth Day on Tuesday, 16 June.

15 June is not a national public holiday.

It is a public-school closure included in the official school calendar. Government offices and ordinary workplaces do not automatically close because schools are closed.

For public-school learners, this produces four consecutive days without school:

  • Saturday, 13 June — weekend.
  • Sunday, 14 June — weekend.
  • Monday, 15 June — Special School Holiday.
  • Tuesday, 16 June — Youth Day.

Learners return to school on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

Why Is 10 August 2026 a Public Holiday?

National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August 2026.

South Africa’s Public Holidays Act provides that when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday.

Therefore Monday, 10 August 2026 is also a public holiday and public schools are closed.

Does the 2026 Calendar Apply in All Provinces?

Yes. The official national public-school calendar applies across all nine provinces:

  • Eastern Cape
  • Free State
  • Gauteng
  • KwaZulu-Natal
  • Limpopo
  • Mpumalanga
  • Northern Cape
  • North West
  • Western Cape
There is no separate inland and coastal public-school calendar in 2026.

The same four public-school term dates apply nationally.

Do Private and Independent Schools Use the Same Dates?

Not necessarily.

The dates on this page apply to public schools. Independent and private schools may use different calendars.

Differences can include:

  • Different opening and closing dates.
  • Half-term breaks.
  • Teacher preparation days.
  • Different examination periods.
  • Different December closing dates.
Confirm directly with an independent school before booking travel.

The national public-school calendar should not automatically be applied to a private-school learner.

2026 Planning Tips for Parents and Guardians

  • January: educators return on 12 January and learners start on 14 January.
  • April: the first school break contains Good Friday and Family Day. Learners return on 8 April.
  • June: plan childcare or family arrangements around the four consecutive school-free days from 13–16 June.
  • July: the winter holiday runs through 20 July. Term 3 begins on 21 July.
  • August: schools are closed on Monday, 10 August because National Women’s Day falls on Sunday.
  • September: Term 3 finishes on 23 September, immediately before Heritage Day.
  • October: Term 4 starts on 6 October.
  • December: learners finish on 9 December while educators remain through 11 December.

Admissions Are Separate From the School Calendar

Provincial education departments can set their own school-admission application periods.

Do not assume that an admission application opens or closes simply because a school term begins or ends.

Does This Include the 2026 Matric Examination Timetable?

No.

The public-school calendar gives term dates, school holidays, administration dates and public holidays.

The 2026 National Senior Certificate examination timetable is a separate Department of Basic Education publication containing subject-by-subject examination dates.

Use the official DBE NSC timetable for Grade 12 examination planning.

Do not calculate individual matric paper dates from the school-term calendar.

South Africa School Holidays Calendar 2026

See the learner holiday periods between each public-school term.

South Africa Public Holidays Calendar 2026

See every national public holiday, including the observed holiday on 10 August.

South Africa School Calendar 2027

Plan the following school year using the final gazetted 2027 public-school calendar.

Explore more South African calendars

Browse the Calendar category for school calendars, school holidays, public holidays and annual planning guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do public schools open in 2026?

Educators report on 12 January 2026. Public-school learners begin Term 1 on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.

When does Term 1 end in 2026?

Term 1 ends on Friday, 27 March 2026.

When does Term 2 start in 2026?

Term 2 starts on Wednesday, 8 April 2026.

When are the winter school holidays in 2026?

The winter learner break runs from 27 June through 20 July. Term 3 starts on 21 July.

When does Term 3 end in 2026?

Term 3 ends on Wednesday, 23 September 2026.

When does Term 4 start in 2026?

Term 4 starts on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.

When do learners finish school in December 2026?

Public-school learners finish on Wednesday, 9 December 2026.

When do educators finish school in 2026?

Educators remain for year-end administration on 10 and 11 December and finish on Friday, 11 December 2026.

How many actual learner school days are there in 2026?

The official public-school calendar provides 200 actual learner school days.

What do the bracketed dates in the official 2026 calendar mean?

They identify educator administration days. They do not indicate separate Grade R opening or closing dates.

Is 15 June 2026 a public holiday?

No. Monday, 15 June is an official Special School Holiday. Youth Day on Tuesday, 16 June is the national public holiday.

Why is 10 August 2026 a public holiday?

National Women’s Day falls on Sunday, 9 August. Under the Public Holidays Act, Monday, 10 August is therefore also a public holiday.

Are the 2026 school dates the same in Gauteng and Western Cape?

Yes. The official national public-school calendar applies to all nine provinces.

Are there different inland and coastal school dates in 2026?

No. The public-school calendar uses one national set of dates.

Do private schools have to follow these dates?

Not necessarily. Independent schools can use different term and holiday dates.

Does the school calendar include 2026 matric examination dates?

No. The National Senior Certificate examination timetable is published separately by the Department of Basic Education.

Official Sources and Contacts

DBE Call Centre: 0800 202 933
DBE Switchboard: 012 357 3000
Email: [email protected]
National Office: 222 Struben Street, Pretoria

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