South Africa gets an extra public holiday: What you need to know about 4 November

South Africans will get an extra public holiday in November after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared Wednesday, 4 November 2026 a nationwide public holiday for the Local Government Elections.

The day has been proclaimed a public holiday under Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, allowing South Africans across the country to cast their votes in the municipal and local government elections.

The declaration means there are now four public holidays remaining in South Africa for the rest of 2026.

When is the new South African public holiday?

The additional public holiday falls on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.

It applies nationwide and coincides with the Local Government Elections.

Public schools will also be closed for normal academic classes on the day.

What happens to matric exams on 4 November?

The timing of the elections initially raised concerns about the National Senior Certificate matric exams, particularly because many public schools are used as voting venues.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and Department of Basic Education have adjusted the examination timetable around the election date to minimise disruption for matriculants.

This means the election public holiday and use of schools as voting stations have been taken into account in the exam schedule.

How many public holidays are left in 2026?

With the additional election day holiday, South Africa has four public holidays remaining in 2026:

Heritage Day: Thursday, 24 September 2026

Local Government Elections: Wednesday, 4 November 2026

Day of Reconciliation: Wednesday, 16 December 2026

Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December 2026

The Day of Goodwill falls on Saturday, 26 December this year. It is not carried over to the following working day as an additional public holiday.

What voters need to know for 4 November

For the Local Government Elections, voters need to cast their ballots at the specific voting station where they are registered.

Voting stations across the country typically open at 07:00 and close at 21:00. Anyone already in the queue before 21:00 will be permitted to vote.

Voters need to bring a valid South African Green Barcoded ID book, Smart ID card or Temporary ID Certificate.

The 4 November public holiday gives registered voters across the country the day to participate in the Local Government Elections while adding another midweek public holiday to South Africa’s 2026 calendar.

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