Public Holidays

South Africa has 12 official public holidays. Cape Town is a popular destination for public holidays, particularly those that fall over the summer months and Easter.

It is important to remember that if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday is officially a public holiday. When the public holiday falls on a Sunday and is a 'religious' holiday, the Monday is NOT a holiday, according to the policy document issued by the S.A. government. The public holidays are as follows:

January 1	New Year's Day
March 21	Human Rights Day
April	Good Friday - Friday before Easter Sunday
April	Family Day - Monday after Easter Sunday
April 27	Freedom Day
May 1	Workers' Day
June 16	Youth Day
August 9	National Women's Day
September 24	Heritage Day
December 16	Day of Reconciliation
December 25	Christmas Day
December 26	Day of Goodwill

Easter Friday and Easter Monday are also holidays in South Africa.

Cape Town businesses and banks are closed on public holidays, but most shops and restaurants are generally open, except for Christmas Day when just about everything is closed - except for a handful of restaurants and accommodation establishments.