It's back! Our ever-popular printable school-holiday calendar for South Africa's government schools is now available for the 2019. We focus on state schools because private schools set their own term dates and differ widely.
Simply click and save this school holiday calendar to your cellphone, or download and print out and have it handy when you plan your year ahead. Bear in mind that private schools have their own holiday calendars.
We've indicated all the school holidays in yellow, and public holidays in green.
December holiday:Last day is Tuesday 8 January. Schools open Wednesday 9 January 2019.*
March holiday:Schools close Friday 15 March and reopen Tuesday 2 April. (11 working days, 17 total days).
June/July holiday:Schools close Friday 14 June and reopen Tuesday 9 July (16 working days, 24 total days).
September holiday:Schools close Friday 20 September and reopen Tuesday 1 October (6 working days, 10 total days).
December holiday:Schools close very early for the year on Wednesday 4 December.
SA long weekends 2019:Our guide to the public holidays next year, indicating how many consecutive days you'll get off including weekends, and how you can maximise that with a few well-chosen leave days.
December holiday:
Last day is Tuesday 8 January. Schools open Wednesday 9 January 2019.*
March holiday:
Schools close Friday 15 March and reopen Tuesday 2 April. (11 working days, 17 total days).
June/July holiday:
Schools close Friday 14 June and reopen Tuesday 9 July (16 working days, 24 total days).
September holiday:
Schools close Friday 20 September and reopen Tuesday 1 October (6 working days, 10 total days).
December holiday:
Schools close very early for the year on Wednesday 4 December.
SA long weekends 2019:
Our guide to the public holidays next year, indicating how many consecutive days you'll get off including weekends, and how you can maximise that with a few well-chosen leave days.
New Year's Day: Tuesday 1 January
- Tuesday 1 January is a public holiday. It falls within the school holiday.
= Take leave on Monday 31 December for 4 days off.
Human Rights Day: Thursday 21 March
- 21 March is a public holiday that falls within the school holiday, which is in March in 2019.
= Take leave on Friday 22 May for 4 days off.
Easter weekend: Friday 19 April to Monday 22 April
- Friday 19 April is Good Friday, Monday 22 April is Family Day.
= You don't have to take leave, you'll get 4 days off. Take the days around the Easter weekend for a longer weekend, but bear in mind the kids have to be in school.
Freedom Day: Saturday 27 April
- Sadly we don't get a week day off because Freedom Day falls on a Saturday in 2019. (It's only when a public holiday falls on a Sunday that the following Monday is granted as a public holiday.)
Workers' Day: Wednesday 1 May
- Wednesday 1 May is Worker's Day.
**If you don’t have kids at school:
= Take leave on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 April, for 5 days off.
= Or take Tuesday 2 and Friday 3 May, for 5 days off.
Youth Day: Sunday 16 June; Monday 17 June is a public holiday
- Because Youth Day falls on a Sunday, we're getting Monday off as well. This falls in the school holiday.
= Take Tuesday 18 to Friday 21 off, for 9 days off.
Women's Day: Friday 9 August
- Friday 9 August is a public holiday.
= You don't have to take leave, you get 3 days off.
Heritage Day: Tuesday 24 September
- Tuesday 24 September is a public holiday, and it falls in the school holiday.
= Take Monday 23 September, for 4 days off.
= Or extend your leave to include Wednesday 25 to Friday 27, for 9 days off.
Day of Reconciliation: Monday 16 December
- This year, it falls on a Monday and it's during the school holidays.
= You don't have to take leave, you get 3 days off.
Christmas: Wednesday 25 December and Day of Goodwill: Thursday 26 December
- These two days fall on a Wednesday and Thursday, within the school holidays.
= Take Monday 23 and Tuesday 24, plus Friday 27, and get 9 days off.
= Make a meal of it and extend your leave to 1 January, for 12 days with the family.
= If you take leave from Tuesday 17 December to 1 January, you get 19 days for 7 days' leave.
