Mark your calendars: South Africa’s next public holiday is coming up this month
It’s likely that South Africans have already checked the September calendar and spotted the public holiday scheduled for later in the month.
South Africans have likely scanned the September calendar and noticed an upcoming public holiday later in the month.
Heritage Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, 24 September.
No doubt many South Africans will have put in for leave on that Monday prior, giving themselves a nice four-day long weekend!
The next public holiday after Heritage Day will only come in December when the Day of Reconciliation is celebrated on Monday, 16 December.
Why we celebrate Heritage Day
Heritage Day recognises and celebrates the cultural wealth of our nation.
South Africans celebrate the day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa.
It’s also often referred to as ‘Braai Day’.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN 2024
South Africa will have 14 public holidays in 2024.
Diarise the following public holidays this year and plan your vacations accordingly!
Monday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
Thursday, 21 March: Human Rights Day
Friday, 29 March: Good Friday
Monday, 1 April: Family Day
Saturday, 27 April: Freedom Day
Wednesday, 1 May: Workers’ Day
Wednesday, 29 May: General elections
Sunday, 16 June: Youth Day
Monday, 17 June: Public holiday Youth Day observed
Friday, 9 August: National Women’s Day
Tuesday, 24 September: Heritage Day
Monday, 16 December: Day of Reconciliation
Wednesday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Thursday, 26 December: Day of Goodwill
Average compared to other countries
In a typical year, South Africa has 12 public holidays, which is roughly the average when compared to other countries.
The global average for public holidays is 11 days.
Workers in most European countries enjoy 10-14 public holidays a year. The United Kingdom, however, has only eight.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Myanmar has 30 public holidays, while Sri Lanka, Iran, India and China have 29, 27, 21 and 17, respectively.