How to MAXIMISE your annual leave – get 49 days off!

How to MAXIMISE your annual leave – get 49 days off!

NOW is prime time to get your annual leave requests in, so here is how to maximize your public holidays and get 49 days off.

HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR ANNUAL LEAVE IN 2024 

For those of you with a typical 9-to-5 job, you can make your holiday stretch further and only use 21 days of annual leave by booking these dates.

Here is a list of the public holidays in South Africa for 2024:

HERE IS A LIST OF SA PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN 2024

1. 1 January: New Year’s Day
2. 21 March: Human Rights Day
3. 29 March: Good Friday *(The dates on which Good Friday and Easter Sunday fall are determined according to the ecclesiastical moon. That varies each year, but they fall at some point between late March and late April.)
4. 1 April: Family Day
5. 27 April: Freedom Day
6. 1 May: Workers’ Day
7. 16 June: Youth Day
8. 17 June: Public holiday Youth Day observed ** (The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994 [PDF]) determines whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following it shall be a public holiday.)
9. 9 August: National Women’s Day
10. 24 September: Heritage Day
11. 16 December: Day of Reconciliation
12. 25 December: Christmas Day
13. 26 December: Day of Goodwill
14. An additional public holiday, the date of which is still to be announced. 

South Africa is set to observe 14 public holidays in 2024, including an additional day off to commemorate a public holiday falling on a Sunday.

AN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY WILL BE ADDED 

In 2024, a noteworthy addition to the calendar will be the South African General Election, introducing an additional public holiday, the date of which is still to be announced.

There is speculation about an extended voting period, which could result in a second additional public holiday for voting.

The additional public holiday aligns with the electoral process, allowing citizens to participate in the democratic exercise without compromising work commitments.

HERE ARE THE SPECIFIC DATES THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO TAKE LEAVE 

End of March and early April

Easter falls on 29 March (Good Friday) and 1 April (Easter Monday) this year.

That means you’ll want to book these four dates, which will give you a whopping ten-day break:

• Monday, 25 March
• Tuesday, 26 March
• Wednesday, 27 March
• Thursday, 28 March

Or you can book the following dates:

• Tuesday, 2 April
• Wednesday, 3 April
• Thursday, 4 April
• Friday, 5 April

Either way, you’ll get a ten-day run-off for four days.

TAKE THESE DAYS IN MAY TO GET NINE DAYS OFF 

May

You should book these dates in May to get nine days off to relax – by only taking four days of leave:

• Monday, 29 April
• Tuesday, 30 April
• Thursday, 2 May
• Friday, 3 May

June

The next date you should take leave is in June, Sunday, 16 June: Youth Day, which will fall on Monday, 17 June, as the Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994 [PDF]) determines whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following on it shall be a public holiday.

Book off these four dates, and you’ll get nine consecutive days off running into June:

• Tuesday, 18 June 
• Wednesday, 19 June
• Thursday, 20 June 
• Friday, 21 June 

YOU CAN GET ANOTHER NINE DAYS OFF IN AUGUST WITH THESE DATES 

August

The public holiday is on Friday, 9 August this year.

You’ll get a nine-day stint by only booking these four dates off:

• Monday, 5 August
• Tuesday, 6 August
• Wednesday, 7 August
• Thursday, 8 August

December

There are three public holidays in December – Monday, 16 December: Day of Reconciliation; Wednesday, 25 December (Christmas Day); and Thursday, 26 December (Boxing Day).

DECEMBER WILL GUARANTEE YOU THESE DAYS OFF 

You can enjoy nine days off by booking just these three days off on leave:

• Monday, 23 December
• Tuesday, 24 December
• Friday, 27 December

Or, you can get 12 days off work, including the weekend, by booking off the following days:

• Friday, 27 December
• Monday, 30 December
• Tuesday, 31 December
• Thursday, 2 January 2025
• Friday, 3 January 2025