School holidays in South Africa 2023, 2024, 2025 (state and independent schools)

In this post, ALYO.info will look at the following topic: South African school holidays 2023, 2024 and 2025. We’ll tell you when school holidays in South Africa begin and end in state and independent schools. We will also provide dates for holidays and additional non-school days when schools are closed. If you use this information on a website, blog or social network, please leave a link to this material!

What you need to know about the school year in South Africa

South African schools are divided into two types: state and independent. The school year schedule for public schools is compiled by the National Department of Basic Education. The school year schedule in independent schools is not officially regulated.

There is the Association of Independent Schools of South Africa. This organization issues guidelines for the school year schedule. They are not compulsory, but most independent schools adhere to them. The Association publishes recommendations for the Central Region, which includes:

• Gauteng Province.
• Free State Province.
• Northwestern Province.
• Northern Cape Province.

In addition to school holidays, children in South Africa relax on South African public holidays. In some cases, additional school holidays are introduced. Usually these are 1-2 days during which schools are closed. Such days are bridges and are introduced to combine a public holiday with a Saturday or Sunday. Here’s an example:

In 2023, Freedom Day falls on a Thursday. Therefore, Friday April 28 was declared a special school holiday. Due to this, South African schoolchildren had 5 free days in a row, from Thursday 27 April to Monday 1 May inclusive.

Typically, holidays in South African schools are planned so that most holidays fall on them. If a holiday falls on a non-working day, it is transferred to the next working day. For example: in 2025, Freedom Day falls on a Sunday. Accordingly, all schools are closed on Monday 28 April. We also indicated such days in this publication.

School holidays in South Africa 2023

In this section we list the South African school holidays 2024 for state and independent schools. Let us recall that until 2023 inclusive, the dates of school holidays in South Africa depended on the province.

Inner cluster, public schools

School holidays 2023 in: Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West Province.

• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays): from March 25 to April 11, 2023.
• Vacation 2 quarters (winter holidays): from June 24 to July 17, 2023.
• 3rd quarter vacation: (spring break) from September 30 to October 9, 2023.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2023-2024): from December 14 (16 for teachers) 2023 to January 17 (15 for teachers) 2024.

Coastal cluster, public schools

School holidays 2023 in: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Ntal, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays): from April 1 to April 11, 2023.
• Vacation 2 quarters (winter holidays): from June 24 to July 17, 2023.
• 3rd quarter vacation: (spring break) from September 30 to October 9, 2023.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2023-2024): from December 14 (16 for teachers) December 2023 to January 17 (15 for teachers) 2024.

Public holidays and non-school days 2023

1. March 20 is a special school holiday.
2. March 21 is Human Rights Day.
3. April 27 is Freedom Day.
4. April 28 is a special school holiday.
5. May 1 is Labor Day.
6. June 16 is Youth Day.
7. August 9 is National Women’s Day.
8. September 24 is Heritage Day.
9. September 25 is a public holiday.

Independent schools of the central region (4 terms per year)

School holidays 2023 for independent schools in: Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape.

• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays): from March 18 to April 11, 2023.
• Vacation 2 quarters (winter holidays): from June 24 to July 17, 2023.
• Holidays 3rd quarter: (spring break): from September 23 to October 9, 2023.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2023-2024): from December 7, 2023 to January 16, 2024.

Schools are closed on the following holidays:

1. Thursday, April 27 (Freedom Day).
2. Friday 28 April (School holidays).
3. Monday, May 1 (Workers’ Day).
4. Friday, June 16 (Youth Day).
5. Wednesday, August 9 (Women’s Day).

Independent schools of the central region (3 quarters per year)

School holidays 2023 independent schools in: Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape.

• Semester break: from 12:00 on February 24 to February 27, 2023.
• 1st quarter holidays: from April 7 to May 2, 2023.
• Semester break: from June 24 to July 2, 2023.
• Vacation 2nd quarter: from August 9 to September 5, 2023.
• Semester break: from 12:00 on October 26 to October 30, 2023.
• 3rd quarter holidays: from December 7, 2023 to January 16, 2024.

Schools are closed on public holidays:

1. Monday 20 March (School holidays).
2. Tuesday, March 21 (Human Rights Day).
3. Friday, June 16 (Youth Day).
4. Monday, September 25 (Heritage Day holiday on Sunday, September 24).

School holidays in South Africa 2024

Below are the school holidays in South Africa 2024. Separate dates are indicated for public schools, independent schools with an academic year consisting of 3 and 4 terms. Please remember that from 2024, school holiday dates in South African public schools do not depend on the location of the school.

Inland and Coastal Cluster Public Schools

• Summer holidays 2023-2024: from 14 (16 for teachers) December 2023 to 17 (15 for teachers) January 2024.
• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays 2024): from March 21 to April 2, 2024.
• Holidays 2 quarters (winter holidays 2024): from June 15 to July 8, 2024.
• 3rd quarter vacation (spring break 2024): from September 21 to September 30, 2024.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2024-2025): from December 11 (13 for teachers) 2024 to January 14 (12 for teachers) 2025.

Non-school days and public holidays in public schools 2024

1. April 27 is Freedom Day.
2. May 01 – Labor Day.
3. August 09 is National Women’s Day.

Independent schools of the central region (4 terms per year)

School holidays 2024 for independent schools in: Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape.

• Summer holidays 2023-2024: from December 7 to January 16, 2024.
• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays): from March 21 to April 8, 2024.
• Vacation 2 quarters (winter holidays): from May 4 to July 9, 2024.
• Holidays 3rd quarter: (spring break): from September 21 to October 8.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2024-2025): from December 6, 2024 to January 14, 2025.

Schools are closed on the following holidays:

1. Wednesday, May 1 (Workers’ Day).
2. Thursday 2 May (school holidays).
3. Friday 3 May (school holidays).
4. Friday, August 9 (Women’s Day).

Independent schools of the central region (3 quarters per year)

School holidays 2024 independent schools in: Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape.

• Semester break: from 12:00 on February 22 to February 26, 2024.
• 1st quarter holidays: from April 12 to May 6, 2024.
• Semester break: from June 29 to July 7, 2024.
• Vacation 2nd quarter: from August 9 to September 3, 2024.
• Semester break: from October 24 to October 28, 2024.
• Holidays 3 quarters: from December 6, 2024 to January 14, 2025.

Schools are closed on public holidays:

1. Thursday, March 21 (Human Rights Day).
2. Friday 22 March (school holidays).
3. Easter weekend (March 29 – April 1).
4. Monday 17 June (school holidays).
5. Monday 23 September (school holidays).
6. Tuesday, September 24 (Heritage Day).

School holidays in South Africa 2025

In this section we have listed school holidays in South Africa 2025. All dates are current, published on the website of the Association of Independent Schools of South Africa and in the Government Gazette.

Inland and Coastal Cluster Public Schools

• Summer holidays 2024-2025: from December 11 (13 for teachers) to January 14 (12 for teachers) 2025.
• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays 2025): from March 29 to April 7, 2025.
• Vacation 2 quarters (winter holidays 2025): from June 28 to July 21, 2025.
• 3rd quarter vacation (spring break 2025): from October 4 to October 12, 2025.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2025-2026): from 11 (13 for teachers) December 2025.

Public holidays and non-school days in public schools 2025

1. March 21 is Human Rights Day.
2. April 18 – Good Friday.
3. April 21 is Family Day.
4. April 27 is Freedom Day.
5. April 28 is Freedom Day.
6. April 29 is a special school holiday.
7. April 30 is a special school holiday.
8. May 1 is Labor Day.
9. May 2 is a special school holiday.
10. June 16 is Youth Day.
11. August 9 is National Women’s Day.
12. September 24 is Heritage Day.

Independent schools of the central region (4 terms per year)

School holidays 2025 for independent schools in: Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape.

• 1st quarter holidays (autumn holidays): from March 21 to April 7, 2025.
• Vacation 2 quarters (winter holidays): from June 28 to July 21, 2025.
• Holidays 3rd quarter: (spring break): from September 27 to October 13, 2025.
• Holidays 4 quarters (summer holidays 2025-2026): from December 4, 2025.

Schools are closed on the following holidays:

1. Friday, April 18 (Good Friday).
2. Monday, April 21 (Family Day).
3. Monday, April 28 (Freedom Day [optional]).
4. April 29–30 (school holidays).
5. Thursday, May 1 (Workers’ Day).
6. Friday 2 May (school holidays).
7. Monday, June 16 (Youth Day).
8. Wednesday, September 24 (Heritage Day).

Independent schools of the central region (3 quarters per year)

School holidays 2025 independent schools in: Gauteng, Free State, North West and Northern Cape.

• Semester break: from 12:00 on February 20 to February 24, 2025.
• 1st quarter holidays: from April 5 to May 5, 2025.
• Semester break: from June 27 to July 6, 2025.
• Vacation 2nd quarter: from August 9 to September 2, 2025.
• Semester break: from 12:00 on October 16 to October 20, 2025.
• Holidays 3rd quarter: from December 4, 2025.

Schools are closed on public holidays:

1. Friday, March 21 (Human Rights Day).
2. Monday, June 16 (Youth Day).
3. Wednesday, September 24 (Heritage Day).

In this publication on ALYO.info we talked about the school holidays in South Africa 2023, 2024 and 2025. Provided exact start and end dates for state and independent schools. If you use this information on your website, do not forget to include a link to this material. Be sure to share this post with your friends!