South Africa has two different school calendars – for the government schools which breaks the year into four terms, and for the private schools which breaks the year into three or four terms. The vast majority attend government schools, so traffic at holiday destinations is busiest when they are on holiday. All schools are on holiday during Christmas and New Year which is the longest holiday break, being summer. For visitors wishing to visit South Africa in summer, and who want to miss the holiday rush, November or January, from the school opening date onwards is perfect.
Government Schools 2024 School Terms:
All nine provinces have the same school calendar for 2024.
A breakdown of School Calendar Days for Public Schools
Dates and days in brackets ( ) are applicable to educators.
The school terms for all schools in South Africa will now be standardized, with the same start and end dates. Here are the term dates for all schools in 2024:
Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West Provinces
Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Western Cape Provinces
| Duration | Number of Weeks | Number of Days | Number Of Public Holidays | The Actual number of School Days |
| (15) 17 January – 20 March | 10 | 46 (48) | 0 | 46 (48) |
| 03 April – 14 June | 11 | 53 | 1+0 | 52 |
| 09 July – 20 September | 11 | 54 | 1+0 | 53 |
| 01 October – 11 (13) December | 11 | 52 (54) | 0 | 52 (54) |
| Total | 43 | 205 (209) | 2+0 | 203 (207) |
Public and School Holidays 2024
| 01 January | New Year’s Day | 17 June | Public Holiday |
| 21 March | Human Rights Day | 09 August | National Women’s Day |
| 29 March | Good Friday | 24 September | Heritage Day |
| 1 April | Family Day | 16 December | Day of Reconciliation |
| 27 April | Freedom Day | 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 01 May | Workers’ Day | 26 December | Day of Goodwill |
| 16 June | Youth Day |
School Terms for Independent Schools in South Africa 2024
Please note: Only Public Holidays falling during term time are shown on this calendar.
Also, note that this calendar is only a guideline. Central Region member schools are not required to follow these dates and individual schools may vary their calendars to cater for specific requirements.
There are no universal term dates or calendars that apply to all independent schools in South Africa.
Many independent schools follow the public school calendar, while others follow the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) calendar.
Some independent schools follow their own specific calendars.
The calendar committee of the ISASA Central Region (Gauteng, Free State, North West, and Northern Cape) publishes a Central Region Calendar as a guideline for member schools in the region. ISASA member schools in Central Region are not required to follow this calendar, although many do.
Dates may vary slightly in different provinces and for different schools. Check with your school.
4 TERM CALENDAR |
Term 1 (46 days) | |||
| Start | Wednesday 17 January | Close | Wednesday 20 March |
| Term 2 (46 days) | |
| Start | Tuesday 9 April |
| Close | Friday 14 June |
| Public Holidays | Wednesday 1 May (Workers’ Day) |
| Thursday 2 May (School Holiday) | |
| Friday 3 May (School Holiday) | |
Term 3 (52 days) | |
| Start | Wednesday 10 July |
| Close | Friday 20 September |
| Public Holidays | Friday 9 August (Women’s Day) |
Term 4 (42 days) | |
| Start | Wednesday 9 October |
| Close | Thursday 5 December |
| Total 186 days and 9 Saturdays |
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