Public Holidays in South Africa 2008 🇿🇦

South Africa has 13 public holidays in 2008. The next public holiday is Heritage Day on 24. Sep. The table below lists every national public holiday with its date and weekday, so you can plan travel, business days and time off in South Africa.

Date	Day	Holiday Name	Category
1. Jan	Tuesday Bridge day	New Year's Day	Public holiday
21. Mar	Friday Long weekend	Good Friday; Human Rights Day	Public holiday
24. Mar	Monday Long weekend	Family Day	Public holiday
27. Apr	Sunday	Freedom Day	Public holiday
28. Apr	Monday Long weekend	Freedom Day (observed)	Public holiday
1. May	Thursday Bridge day	Workers' Day	Public holiday
2. May	Friday Long weekend	Public holiday by presidential decree	Public holiday
16. Jun	Monday Long weekend	Youth Day	Public holiday
9. Aug	Saturday	National Women's Day	Public holiday
24. Sep	Wednesday	Heritage Day	Public holiday
16. Dec	Tuesday Bridge day	Day of Reconciliation	Public holiday
25. Dec	Thursday Bridge day	Christmas Day	Public holiday
26. Dec	Friday Long weekend	Day of Goodwill	Public holiday

Long weekends in South Africa 2008

These public holidays fall next to the weekend or just one bridge day away, making it easy to plan an extended break.

New Year's Day — 1. Jan (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Good Friday; Human Rights Day — 21. Mar (Friday) — long weekend
Family Day — 24. Mar (Monday) — long weekend
Freedom Day (observed) — 28. Apr (Monday) — long weekend
Workers' Day — 1. May (Thursday) — take Friday off to bridge into the weekend
Public holiday by presidential decree — 2. May (Friday) — long weekend
Youth Day — 16. Jun (Monday) — long weekend
Day of Reconciliation — 16. Dec (Tuesday) — take Monday off to bridge into the weekend
Christmas Day — 25. Dec (Thursday) — take Friday off to bridge into the weekend
Day of Goodwill — 26. Dec (Friday) — long weekend

Holidays that change date in South Africa

Some holidays are movable and land on a different date each year. Here is how these dates shift from 2008 to 2009.

Family Day: 24. Mar 2008 → 13. Apr 2009

Browse Holidays for Other Years in South Africa:

2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030

Holidays in other countries:

🇿🇦 South Africa 13 holidays
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 13 holidays
🇸🇿 Eswatini 13 holidays
🇲🇿 Mozambique 10 holidays
🇧🇼 Botswana 15 holidays
🇳🇦 Namibia 13 holidays
🇱🇸 Lesotho 11 holidays

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays does South Africa have in 2008?

South Africa observes 13 public holidays in 2008. Each is listed above with its date and weekday.

What is the next public holiday in South Africa?

The next public holiday in South Africa is Heritage Day on 24. Sep.

Are public holidays in South Africa the same every year?

Most national holidays recur on the same date each year, while some (such as religious or lunar-calendar holidays) move. This page is updated for 2008.