South African School Terms and Public Holidays 2019
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
2019 School Terms:
All nine provinces have the same school calendar for 2019.
2019 School Calendar for ordinary public schools in South Africa |
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Provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape | |||||
Term | Duration | No. of weeks | No. of days | No. of public holidays | Actual no. of school days |
1 | (07) 09 Jan – 15 March | 10 | 48 (50) | 0 | 48 (50) |
2 | 02 April – 14 June | 11 | 54 | 3 + 0 | 51 |
3 | 09 July – 20 September | 11 | 54 | 1 + 0 | 53 |
4 | 01 October – 04 (06) December | 10 | 47 (49) | 0 | 47 (49) |
TOTAL | 42 | 203 (207) | 4 + 0 | 199 (203) |
Dates and days in brackets ( ) are applicable to educators.
Source: South African Government Website
School Terms for Independent Schools in South Africa 2019
Please note: 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 calendar of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA). 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.
Source – Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA)
4 TERM CALENDAR | ||
Term 1 (43 days) | ||
Start | Wednesday 16 January | |
Close | Friday 15 March | |
Term 2 (48 days) | ||
Start | Wednesday 3 April | |
Close | Friday 14 June | |
Half Term | Close | Friday 26 April (normal time) |
Return | Thursday 2 May | |
Public Holidays | Friday 19 April (Good Friday) | |
Monday 22 April (Family Day) | ||
Term 3 (52 days) | ||
Start | Wednesday 10 July | |
Close | Friday 20 September | |
Public Holidays | Friday 9 August (Women’s Day) | |
Term 4 (44 days) | ||
Start | Tuesday 8 October | |
Close | Friday 6 December | |
Total 187 days and 10 Saturdays |
3 TERM CALENDAR | ||
Term 1 (60 days) | ||
Start | Wednesday 16 January | |
Close |
Friday 12 April | |
Half Term | Close | Thursday 21 February (12h00) |
Return | Tuesday 26 February | |
Public Holidays | Thursday 21 March (Human Rights Day) | |
Term 2 (62 days) | ||
Start | Tuesday 7 May | |
Close | Thursday 8 August | |
Half Term | Close | Friday 28 June (normal time) |
Return | Monday 8 July | |
Public Holidays | Sunday 16 June (Youth Day) | |
Monday 17 June (Public Holiday) | ||
Term 3 (61 days) | ||
Start | Tuesday 10 September | |
Close | Friday 6 December | |
Half Term | Close | Thursday 24 October (12h00) |
Return | Tuesday 29 October | |
Public Holidays | Tuesday 24 September (Heritage Day) | |
Total 183 days and 13 Saturdays |
Public and School Holidays 2019
1 January: New Year’s Day | 21 March: Human Rights Day |
19 April: Good Friday | 22 April: Family Day |
27 April: Freedom Day | 1 May: Workers’ Day |
16 June: Youth Day | 17 June: Public holiday |
9 August: National Women’s Day | 23 September: School holiday |
24 September: Heritage Day | 16 December: Day of Reconciliation |
25 December: Christmas Day | 26 December: Day of Goodwill |
Downloads:
- Download this entire article with all calendars (Pdf)
- Download Public School Terms for 2019 (Pdf)
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