Johannesburg school holidays 2026: term dates calendar

Term dates for South African public schools are gazetted nationally by the Department of Basic Education, and from 2026 they apply uniformly across all nine provinces, including Gauteng where Johannesburg sits. Our Johannesburg city guide covers the wider sector; this page sets out the 2026 dates. The fixed long breaks are the end-of-year summer holiday and the mid-year winter holiday, with a shorter autumn pause around Easter.

Johannesburg public holidays 2026

Johannesburg schools close on South African national public holidays, set under the Public Holidays Act. The 2026 dates are below. Where a holiday falls on a Sunday the following Monday becomes a public holiday, which is why National Women's Day is observed on the Monday in 2026.

The Department of Basic Education has also confirmed a special school holiday on Monday 15 June 2026, giving learners a long weekend ahead of Youth Day on Tuesday 16 June. Most public holidays fall inside the term breaks, but Freedom Day, Workers' Day and Youth Day land during term time and close schools on the day.

Term dates 2026 and into 2027

The table shows the gazetted 2026 calendar for South African public schools. The year is built around four terms with 200 teaching days. Term two carries the Easter break at its start and the winter holiday at its end, and term four ends in early December for the long summer holiday. There is no February half-term in the British sense.

These are the national public-school dates; independent and international schools can vary by a few days. Because South Africa runs a January to December year, the 2026-27 school year is not a continuous block in the northern-hemisphere sense. The Department of Basic Education has published a 2027 calendar with term one beginning in mid-January 2027, so the exact January 2027 reopening date should be confirmed against the gazetted 2027 calendar before booking travel.

International school term dates

This is where Johannesburg differs sharply from a single-system city. Many local independent schools run the South African January to December year alongside the public calendar, so their breaks track the table above. International schools, however, split into two camps. Schools serving expatriate and globally mobile families, such as the American International School of Johannesburg and several British-curriculum schools, follow a northern-hemisphere August or September to June year with the long summer break in the middle of the calendar year and a shorter winter break in December. Other international and IB schools keep the southern-hemisphere January to December rhythm to align with the local system. The practical upshot is that two international schools in the same suburb can have completely different holiday weeks, so check the specific school's published calendar. Our curriculum guide explains how each system shapes the year and its assessment seasons.

Planning the year

Two practical notes for Johannesburg families. First, the mid-year winter holiday in July is the prime domestic travel window, with Highveld families heading to the coast and to the bushveld, so flights and lodges book up early. Second, if your children attend a northern-hemisphere international school while friends are in the local system, the summer breaks will not line up, so confirm both calendars before planning joint trips. Start a shortlist from the Johannesburg city hub and compare systems in our curriculum guide.

Common questions

When do schools break up for summer in Johannesburg? South African public schools follow a January to December year, so the long summer break falls over the southern-hemisphere summer at the end of the year. Public schools in Johannesburg close on Wednesday 9 December 2026 and reopen in mid-January 2027.

How long is the summer holiday in Johannesburg? The end-of-year summer break runs from early December to mid-January, roughly five weeks. The longest mid-year break is the winter holiday between terms two and three, from late June to late July.

When does the 2026 school year start in Johannesburg? Under the unified 2026 calendar, public schools open on Wednesday 14 January 2026 across all provinces, with coastal and inland schools starting on the same day for the first time.

When is the Easter break for Johannesburg schools in 2026? Public schools close for term one on Friday 27 March 2026 and reopen for term two on Wednesday 8 April 2026. Good Friday is 3 April and Family Day is Monday 6 April.

Is there a special school holiday in June 2026? Yes. The Department of Basic Education has confirmed a special holiday on Monday 15 June 2026, giving learners an extended break ahead of Youth Day on Tuesday 16 June.

Related guides

• Johannesburg city guide
• Compare curricula
• Find a school