The short answer. 2027 is kind to anyone who plans ahead. Freedom Day and Heritage Day fall next to weekends, Easter lands in March, and the school holidays move around more than usual. Here is every long weekend and school break, and where a few days of leave turn a weekend into a week.
The long weekends
| Weekend | Dates |
|---|---|
| Christmas 2026 | Fri 25 to Sun 27 December 2026 |
| New Year | Fri 1 to Sun 3 January 2027 |
| Human Rights Day | Sat 20 to Mon 22 March. Human Rights Day is a Sunday, so Monday 22nd is the public holiday |
| Easter | Good Friday 26 to Family Day, Mon 29 March |
| Freedom Day | Sat 24 to Tue 27 April |
| Women's Day | Sat 7 to Mon 9 August |
| Heritage Day | Fri 24 to Sun 26 September |
| Christmas 2027 | Sat 25 to Mon 27 December |
Freedom Day falls on a Tuesday, and schools are closed on Monday 26 April too, so families get four days without taking leave from school. Everyone else can take the Monday off and do the same. Youth Day is a Wednesday, 16 June, which suits a quiet midweek escape, and the Day of Reconciliation on Thursday 16 December becomes four days if you take the Friday.
Make your leave go further
When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday becomes the holiday. Put a few leave days in the right places and a long weekend becomes a proper week in the bush. The best one in 2027: take three days of leave around Human Rights Day and Easter, and you are away for ten days, from Saturday 20 to Monday 29 March.
| Stretch | Take leave on | Time away |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas into New Year | Mon 28 to Thu 31 December 2026 (4 days) | 10 days, Fri 25 December to Sun 3 January |
| Human Rights Day into Easter | Tue 23 to Thu 25 March (3 days) | 10 days, Sat 20 to Mon 29 March |
| Freedom Day | Mon 26 April (1 day) | 4 days, Sat 24 to Tue 27 April |
| Freedom Day, the full week | Mon 26 and Wed 28 to Fri 30 April (4 days) | 9 days, Sat 24 April to Sun 2 May |
| Youth Day | Mon 14, Tue 15, Thu 17 and Fri 18 June (4 days) | 9 days, Sat 12 to Sun 20 June |
| Women's Day | Tue 10 to Fri 13 August (4 days) | 9 days, Sat 7 to Sun 15 August |
| Heritage Day | Mon 20 to Thu 23 September (4 days) | 9 days, Sat 18 to Sun 26 September |
| Day of Reconciliation | Fri 17 December (1 day) | 4 days, Thu 16 to Sun 19 December |
| Christmas into New Year 2028 | Tue 28 to Fri 31 December 2027 (4 days) | 9 days, Sat 25 December to Sun 2 January |
These are worked out for a Monday to Friday working week. Workers' Day falls on a Saturday in 2027, so it does not add a day off. The Human Rights Day and Easter stretch sits inside the school Easter holidays, which makes it ideal for families and popular at the lodges, so book it early.
The school holidays
These are the dates for public schools in the official 2027 calendar. Private schools often differ by a few days, so check yours.
| Holiday | Dates |
|---|---|
| December holidays | 10 December 2026 to 12 January 2027 |
| Easter holidays | 20 March to 5 April |
| Winter holidays | 26 June to 19 July |
| Spring holidays | 2 to 10 October |
How to make them count
- Book the long weekends first. The reserves closest to Joburg, like the Waterberg, Pilanesberg and Madikwe, fill up first.
- Easter is early. The whole Easter break sits in late March, which is still green, warm season in the Lowveld.
- Holidays have their own terms. Many lodges set separate rates, minimum stays or conditions for the festive season, Easter, long weekends and school holidays, and some resident specials exclude them altogether. Tell us your dates and we will check the terms that apply before you book.
Questions we are asked
When are the 2027 school holidays in South Africa?
For public schools: 20 March to 5 April, 26 June to 19 July and 2 to 10 October, after the December holidays that end on 12 January 2027.
Which public holidays make long weekends in 2027?
Human Rights Day (observed Monday 22 March), Easter, Freedom Day (Tuesday 27 April, with schools closed on the Monday), Women's Day (Monday 9 August), Heritage Day (Friday 24 September) and Christmas, when the Day of Goodwill moves to Monday 27 December.
How can I turn a long weekend into a week off in 2027?
Take Tuesday 23 to Thursday 25 March as leave and you are off from Saturday 20 to Monday 29 March, ten days for three days of leave, because Human Rights Day moves to Monday 22 March and Easter follows that Friday. Four days of leave around Youth Day, Women's Day or Heritage Day each give you nine days away.
Are resident specials valid over holidays?
Some are and some are not. Many lodges have separate terms for peak dates, so we check the conditions for your exact dates before you book.
Tell us which weekend you have your eye on, and who is coming, and we will find the rate.
