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.
If you want to see 2020's school holidays, click here.
SA school holidays 2019
Click here to download the colourful printable:
Click here to download the black-and-white printable:
Click here to download the simpler, scalable version in colour:
December holiday:
Last day of holiday is Tuesday 8 January. Schools open Wednesday 9 January 2019 for learners, Monday 7 Jan for teachers.
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.
Human Rights Day: Thursday 21 March
- 21 March is a public holiday that falls within the school holiday, which is in March in 2019
Easter weekend: Friday 19 April to Monday 22 April
- Friday 19 April is Good Friday, Monday 22 April is Family Day
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.
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.
Women's Day: Friday 9 August
- Friday 9 August is a public holiday
Heritage Day: Tuesday 24 September
- Tuesday 24 September is a public holiday, and it falls in the school holiday
Day of Reconciliation: Monday 16 December
- This year, it falls on a Monday and it's during the school holidays
Christmas: Wednesday 25 December and Day of Goodwill: Thursday 26 December
- These two days fall on a Wednesday and Thursday, within the school holidays
*Remember, if you are a teacher, you'll start 2 days earlier in January and be working for another 2 days in December.
Source: Department of Basic Education
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Also see:
- 2020's school holiday calendar
- New year, new parent
- Top tips from teachers to parents
- 7 stress management tips
- How to budget for primary school
Chat back:
How far in advance do you plan your family holidays? When are you going away and whereto? Send your comments to us and we may publish them (anonymously).