Are You Ready For A Holiday? Not Now... But in 2027? These Are Your Leave Dates

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Planning your 2027 holidays? Find out how to maximise your leave days, make the most of public holidays and plan ahead for the Rugby World Cup year.

South Africa (05 October 2026) – If you’re already dreaming about your next holiday, you’re not alone. And while there’s still plenty of 2026 left, now is the perfect time to start planning your 2027 leave. We know… Dezemba has not even kicked in yet, but for the 2026 calendar, you did ask us to give you more time for 2027. So here we go…

And there’s an extra reason to get those calendars out early: 2027 is Rugby World Cup year.

With the Rugby World Cup heading to Australia in October 2027, rugby fans will be looking ahead to the tournament, whether you’re planning the trip of a lifetime Down Under, hoping to catch the Springboks in action, or simply want to make sure you have enough time off to enjoy the tournament from home.

That means it’s never too early to start thinking about your leave. Accommodation, flights, and those highly coveted leave days can all get a little more complicated when a major sporting event rolls around, so planning early could make all the difference.

Every year, we sit down with our calendars and look at where the public holidays fall, working out how South Africans can turn a few carefully chosen leave days into much longer breaks.

And this year, we’re getting in early.

Whether you’re dreaming of a big family holiday, a Rugby World Cup adventure, a quick getaway, a long weekend away or simply a few extra days at home with your feet up, knowing where the public holidays fall can help you make the most of your annual leave.

Of course, we’re all for maximising your time off, but we’re also advocates for keeping your employer happy. Be sure to give plenty of notice when booking your leave, make sure your work is up to date and, where possible, plan around your team’s needs, too.

Below are all the public holidays and dates to add to your calendar for 2027. We’ll also share some of our leave tips to help you get the longest breaks possible.

1 January – Friday: New Year’s Day
21 March – Sunday: Human Rights Day
22 March – Monday: Human Rights Day Observed
26 March – Friday: Good Friday
29 March – Monday: Family Day
27 April – Tuesday: Freedom Day
1 May – Saturday: Workers’ Day
16 June – Wednesday: Youth Day
9 August – Monday: National Women’s Day
24 September – Friday: Heritage Day
16 December – Thursday: Day of Reconciliation
25 December – Saturday: Christmas Day
26 December – Sunday: Day of Goodwill
27 December – Monday: Day of Goodwill Observed

This year, there are seven long weekends in total. And, with a little bit of strategic planning, you can make some of them even longer by adding just a day or two of annual leave. Or by adding a day here and there, you can add a few extra long weekends to the calendar.

Here are some tips to make your public holidays a little longer:

11 Days Over the Easter Break: You can take 5 days of leave and get an 11-day break! You need to take the 19th of March (1 day), the 23rd – 26th of March (4 days).
2 Days for an Extra Long Weekend: Freedom Day is on a Tuesday, so if you take off Friday the 23rd and Monday the 26th, you get a 5-day long weekend!
1 Extra Day for Women’s Day: Women’s Day falls on a Monday this year, so if you take Friday the 6th of August, you can have a longer weekend.
Heritage Day Long Weekend: Heritage Day, or Braai Day, is on Friday the 24th, so if you grab Thursday or Monday, you can have a nice 4-day weekend.

So there you have it: your 2027 leave-planning cheat sheet.

The Rugby World Cup sadly falls outside of any of our public holidays, so you will have to use your full annual leave, but now you have time to plan. The Opening match is on the 1st of October 2027, in Perth. The Springboks’ opening match is on the 3rd of October 2027 against Italy in Adelaide, and the Final is on 13th of November 2027 in Sydney.

With a little planning, a few strategically chosen leave days can turn public holidays into proper breaks, giving you more time to travel, spend time with the people you love, follow the Springboks, or simply switch off.

And because we’re publishing this guide early, you have plenty of time to start planning before 2027 arrives. Especially if you’re hoping to make the most of the Rugby World Cup year.

Looking for inspiration for your next travel destination? We’ve got plenty of that, too. Check out our travel section for more ideas for your next adventure.