Public Holiday Pay (South Africa)
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate public holiday pay in South Africa — the 12 annual holidays: a normal day’s pay for not working (when it falls on your workday), at least double pay for working, and the Sunday-shift rule that creates Monday holidays.
Quick answer: South Africa’s 12 public holidays: fall on your ordinary workday and you get the day paid; work it and you get 2x (or ordinary wage + the day’s pay, whichever formulation is greater). A holiday on a Sunday moves to Monday.
The Rules (BCEA s18 + Public Holidays Act)
| Holiday on your ordinary workday, not worked | Full ordinary pay for the day |
| Worked (full or partial) | At least double the ordinary daily wage — or ordinary daily wage + pay for hours worked, whichever is greater |
| Holiday NOT on your workday, but you work | Ordinary daily wage + hours worked |
| Sunday holidays | Observed the following Monday |
| Exchange | Holiday-for-another-day swaps allowed by agreement |
The 12 Holidays
New Year’s, Human Rights Day (Mar 21), Good Friday, Family Day, Freedom Day (Apr 27), Workers’ Day (May 1), Youth Day (Jun 16), National Women’s Day (Aug 9), Heritage Day (Sep 24), Day of Reconciliation (Dec 16), Christmas, Day of Goodwill (Dec 26) — plus occasional once-off proclamations.
Worked Example
R720/day worker on Heritage Day: stay home = R720; work the full day = R1,440 minimum; work 4 of 9 hours = greater of 2× daily or (daily + 4 hrs) → the calculator picks the greater formulation.
Edge Cases
Night shifts spanning into a holiday count per the hours falling on it; casual/daily workers get holiday pay when the day falls on a day they would ordinarily have worked (pattern evidence decides); and sectoral determinations (domestic, farm, retail) carry their own schedules on top. The global comparison shows SA’s 12 against the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get paid for public holidays in South Africa?
Yes — a holiday falling on your ordinary workday pays in full without working; it’s one of the BCEA’s unconditional entitlements.
What is the pay for working a public holiday?
At least double the ordinary daily wage — or ordinary wage plus hours worked, whichever is greater; partial shifts use the same greater-of test.
What happens when a holiday falls on a Sunday?
The following Monday becomes the public holiday — the SA Mondayisation rule.
Can holidays be swapped for other days?
Yes by genuine agreement — the exchange must be voluntary and recorded.
Do casual workers get holiday pay?
When the holiday lands on a day they would ordinarily have worked — regular patterns establish the right.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026