South Africa is getting an extra public holiday
An extra public holiday has been added for 2026.
On 4 November, South Africans will head to the polls for the country’s Local Government Elections following Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa’s official gazetting and proclamation of the date.
Ahead of the elections, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared that 4 November will be an official public holiday.
According to BusinessTech, this declaration was made in terms of Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act.
This section allows the President to declare any day a public holiday by publishing a notice in the Government Gazette.
4 November was specifically chosen as it falls outside the festive season and was thought to improve voter turnout.
It would also have a limited impact on schools and the matric examinations.
Originally, there were concerns that the election date would disrupt the matric examination period, as schools are often used as voting stations.
During discussions involving Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations, the IEC and the Department of Home Affairs, committee chairperson Mmusi Maimane maintained that the issue of possible school disruptions had already been addressed.
“The IEC replied that through consultation with the Department of Basic Education, there will be minimal disruptions to matriculants as the day will be designated as a public holiday,” Maimane said.
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