It might be a bit soon to start thinking about the 2023 South African Public Holidays yet for those who like to plan ahead and make the most of the mini-holidays, there are a few dates to look forward to.

• South Africa has a total of 12 official public holidays with Myanmar topping the global list with around 30 public holidays.
• 2023 has two bonus public holidays in South Africa, thanks to the Public Holidays Act.
• All decisions regarding additional public holidays must be made by the elected president of South Africa.
• Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.

With 12 public holidays, the country has enough public holidays to have a day off a month. What might be somewhat unique is the Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) which determines whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following on it shall be a public holiday – bonus. The 2023 South African Public Holiday line-up includes 6 long weekends to look forward to.

Here are the 2023 South African Public Holidays:
1 January: New Year’s Day
2 January: Public Holiday – New Year’s Day observed **
21 March: Human Rights Day
7 April: Good Friday
10 April: Family Day
27 April: Freedom Day
1 May: Workers’ Day
16 June: Youth Day
9 August: National Women’s Day
24 September: Heritage Day
25 September: Public Holiday – Heritage Day observed **
16 December: Day of Reconciliation
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Day of Goodwill

Maximise your 2023 South African Public Holidays with these tips:
March 2023: Take Monday, March 20 off and get a 4-day break (March 18 – 21)
April 2023: Take Friday, April 28 off and get a 5-day break (April 27 – May 1)
August 2023: Take Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11 off and get a 5-day break (August 9 – 13)
December 2023: Take Wednesday to Friday, December 27 to 29 off and get a 10-day break (December 27 – January 1, 2024)