Public holidays for September – and the rest of 2020: When do we get a break?

For those of you suffering from a bit of workplace fatigue during this horrendous year… join the queue. It has been an emotional and draining time for us all, after 2020 was engulfed by the twin crises of COVID-19 and lockdown. But, we’re looking for reasons to stay cheerful – and you cannot beat a public holiday. In fact, there’s one coming up in September…

Calendar for 2020: When is the next public holiday in SA?

South Africa has four public holidays left in 2020, with three of those happening within 10 days of each other in the same month. The first day of January is also a public holiday, so there are five to look forward to in the next four months:

• 24 September 2020: Heritage Day.
• 16 December 2020: Day of Reconciliation (falls on a Wednesday).
• 25 December 2020: Christmas Day.
• 26 December 2020: Day of Goodwill.
• 1 January 2021: New Year’s Day.

What public holidays are in September for South Africa?

In September, we celebrate Heritage Day. This is where South Africans pay tribute to their roots and appreciate the tapestry of different cultures that have made this land what it is today. And for those asking ‘what day do we have off work?’ – allow us to be the bearers of good news: It falls on Thursday 24 September this year.

This means we avoid the dreaded ‘public holiday on a Saturday’ – where most of the workforce is off anyway, but the break isn’t honoured on a weekday. If you’re savvy, booking Friday 25 September off work will give you a four-day weekend. Go on. Get those leave forms sorted…

Who has the most national ‘days off’ in the world?

(List compiled using data from The Telegraph and World Atlas)

• Cambodia – 28 days
• Sri Lanka – 25 days
• Kazakhstan – 21 days
• India – 18 days
• Colombia – 18 days
• China – 17 days
• Thailand – 16 days
• Lebanon – 16 days
• South Korea – 16 days
• Japan – 16 days
• Argentina – 15 days
• Chile – 15 days
• Finland – 15 days
• Turkey – 14.5 days
• Chile – 14 days
• Norway – 13 days
• South Africa – 12 days
• Russia – 12 days
• Namibia – 12 days
• Angola – 12 days
• Brazil – 12 days
• Peru – 12 days
• Italy – 11 days
• United States – 10 days
• Australia – nine days
• United Kingdom – eight days
• Mexico – seven days