Days to take off in 2024 to get the most out of public holidays and paid leave
Employees can ensure that they optimise their work leave in 2024 by scheduling it around South Africa’s public holidays.
According to Bonnie Smith, GM of Corporate Travel, South African travellers can use careful planning around long weekends to stretch their time off work even further this year.
The best opportunity for an extended break is over the easter week in April, which can be optimised by taking leave from March 28th to April 3rd – this can give you a seven-day holiday with just three work days taken off.
Days to take off:
- Thursday, 28 March
- Tuesday, 2 April
- Wednesday, 3 April
If you want an even more extended break over that period, you can take five work days off and have a 12-day break.
Days to take off:
- Friday, 22 March
- Monday, 25 March
- Tuesday, 26 March
- Wednesday, 27 March
- Thursday, 28 March
Taking time off between April 29th and May 3rd can also result in a leisurely nine-day getaway with four workdays sacrificed.
Days to take off:
- Monday, 29 April
- Tuesday, 30 April
- Thursday, 2 May
- Friday, 3 May
Other opportune times
September’s Heritage Day long weekend can also result in a quick four-day holiday by taking Monday, September 23 off.
For those who store up leave until the end of the year, the best opportunity for a break comes in December 2024, with four public holidays taking place over 16 days, leading to the most time off.
Starting Saturday, 15 December through to Wednesday, 1 January 2025, a total of nine working days off yields a year-end break totalling 18 days.
The table below outlines the best breaks:
| Leave period | Days off | Workdays |
| 28 March – 3 April | 7 | 3 |
| 21 March – 1 April | 12 | 5 |
| 29 April – 3 May | 9 | 4 |
| 21 September – 24 September | 4 | 1 |
| 15 December – 1 January | 18 | 9 |
‘Extra’ holidays in 2024
South Africa will also be getting two ‘extra’ public holidays in 2024.
Although the official date of the 2024 national election has not yet been announced, the day has historically been named a public holiday by the President to give all South Africans the opportunity to vote.
With the last national election held on 8 May 2019, it is expected that the 2024 elections will also fall around this time.
The second extra day will be on Monday, 17 June as Youth Day (16 June) falls on a Sunday
The Public Holidays Act states that the Monday that follows any public holiday on a Sunday shall also be a public holiday.
There are thus 14 public holidays this year, which South Africans can take advantage of when planning their work leave.
2024’s public holidays can be found below:
- 1 January – New Year’s Day
- 21 March – Human Rights Day
- 29 March – Good Friday
- 1 April – Family Day
- May (TBD) – 2024 National Election
- 27 April – Freedom Day
- 1 May – Workers’ Day
- 16 June – Youth Day
- 17 June – Public holiday, Youth Day observed
- 9 August – National Women’s Day
- 24 September – Heritage Day
- 16 December – Day of Reconciliation
- 25 December – Christmas Day
- 26 December – Day of Goodwill
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