South Africans will see one less public holiday in 2025
It's a pity that public holidays that fall on a Saturday don't constitute a free day on a Monday...
We have just three public holidays left for 2024, and 2025 will have just twelve public holidays.
"South Africa had 14 public holidays in 2024, with two ‘extra’ days coming from the 2024 national election on 29 May, and an observation day for Youth Day, which fell on a Sunday (16 June) this year." (Business Tech)
In South Africa, the Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) states that whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will serve as a holiday since Sundays form part of the weekend.
However, we will lose out next year because Women's Day falls on a Saturday and Saturdays are not included in the Public Holidays Act.
Freedom Day is a long weekend, as it falls on a Sunday, so we will get Monday the 28th of April 2025 off. We had a bonus public holiday this year, as Election Day was created as a 'free' day, but next year, we will see a flat twelve days with more "out-of-season" long weekends.
2025 will be "slightly less disruptive, economically speaking".
"There had previously been a proposal for all public holidays in the country to be observed either on a Monday or Friday, as this proves to be far less disruptive to business operations (and thus more beneficial for the economy). The school calendar already plans its terms around public holidays to reduce disruptions as far as possible." (Business Tech)
There is a bonus, though: 2025 delivers more long weekends. The Business Tech website provides a breakdown of the public holidays.
The public holiday breakdown doesn't affect white-collar workers as much as it does businesses and front-line workers.
Things such as working on a public holiday, the benefits under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), and overall business operations during these days are considered when public holidays fall on weekends or during the week.
"If the public holiday falls on a day on which the employee would ordinarily work, and the employee works on that public holiday, then the employee is entitled to double their ordinary wage for the day – or, if greater, the employee’s ordinary wage for the day “plus the amount earned by the employee for the time worked on that day. However, suppose the employee does not work on a public holiday, which falls on a day the employee would ordinarily work. In that case, the employee is entitled to their ordinary wage for the day." (Business Tech)
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