School calendar 2026 | When do the March / April holidays start?
South African school learners are fast approaching the end of the first term with the last day on Friday, 27 March.
Learners across South Africa kicked off Term 1 on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, with both inland and coastal schools reopening on the same date.
This uniform national start date continues a policy introduced in 2024, aimed at preventing delays to the academic year and protecting the total number of teaching days.
Academic Year Schedule
The 2026 school year is structured as follows:
- Term 1: 14 January – 27 March (53 days)
- Term 2: 8 April – 26 June (54 days)
- Term 3: 21 July – 23 September (51 days)
- Term 4: 6 October – 9 December (47 days)
That means we’re fast approaching the end of the first term in 2026 with the last day on Friday, 27 March.
Scholars will return to their desks for Term 2 on Wednesday, 8 April.
That means pupils will enjoy eight school days off. However, two of those are public holidays (Good Friday and Family Day).
In total, the calendar includes 205 school days, 28 school holidays, and five public holidays.
Youth Day Long Weekend
Meanwhile, the 2026 calendar includes a special adjustment: Monday, 15 June, has been designated as an additional school holiday, creating a long weekend around Youth Day, which falls on Tuesday, 16 June.
This adjustment was agreed upon during annual calendar consultations involving education authorities, transport representatives, religious organisations, NGOs, and private-sector stakeholders.
The next public holiday in South Africa is scheduled to be Human Rights Day on Saturday, 21 March.
The Department of Basic Education reviews the school calendar annually to ensure there is no loss of teaching and learning days, providing a consistent framework for students and educators across the country.
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