As reported by The South African website, Mzansi will have 14 public holidays in 2023 – which includes an additional two days off to celebrate public holidays which fall on Sundays.
ALSO READ | PARENTS: HERE’S HOW MANY SCHOOL DAYS THERE ARE IN 2023
Five of those holidays have now passed: New Year’s day (Sunday, 1 January) and the first of those ‘extra’ days, Monday, 2 January, to observe New Year’s day.
Human Rights Day on Tuesday, 21 March was the third of the year, while the recent Easter weekend saw the fourth and fifth public holidays of the year, namely Good Friday and Easter Monday (Family Day).
MUST READ | Epic tattoo FAILS: ‘I’m speechless’!
The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) determines that whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following it shall be a public holiday.
CHEESY | PUN OF THE DAY
However, South Africans will ‘lose’ one public holiday next year as the Day of Reconciliation falls on Saturday, 16 December 2023.
WIN | RUGBY QUIZ | THREE simple answers could win you a ticket to Twickenham!
The next public holiday – or day off work – to look forward to is next week on Thursday, 27 April which is Freedom Day. Following shortly thereafter in Workers’ Day on Monday, 1 May.
MONEY MATTERS | FOUR of Africa’s wealthiest cities are in South Africa
Public holidays in 2023:
- Sunday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
- Monday, 2 January: Public holiday New Year’s Day observed
- Tuesday, 21 March: Human Rights Day
- Friday, 7 April: Good Friday
- Monday, 10 April: Family Day
- Thursday, 27 April: Freedom Day
- Monday, 1 May: Workers’ Day
- Friday, 16 June: Youth Day
- Wednesday, 9 August: National Women’s Day
- Sunday, 24 September: Heritage Day
- Monday, 25 September: Public holiday Heritage Day observed
- Saturday, 16 December: Day of Reconciliation
- Monday, 25 December: Christmas Day
- Tuesday, 26 December: Day of Goodwill
In a typical year, South Africa has 12 public holidays, which is roughly the average when compared to other countries. The global average for public holidays is 11 days off.
PUZZLE | Can you solve this maths equation that has the internet baffled?
Workers in most European countries enjoy 10-14 public holidays a year. The United Kingdom, however, has only eight.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Myanmar has 30 public holidays, while Sri Lanka, Iran, India, and China have 29, 27, 21, and 17, respectively.
LAUGH OUT LOUD | JOKE OF THE DAY
