Here’s what the 2026 South African school calendar looks like

The Department of Basic Education has published the 2026 school calendar, with all learners returning to public schools on Wednesday, 14 January.

Teachers and administrations will start on 12 January to prepare for the start of the school year.

In a significant change, the Department has aligned the opening and closing dates for all public schools, ending the previous system in which coastal schools started a week later than inland schools.

The 2026 calendar consists of 200 school days, 28 school holidays, and five public holidays.

It also includes a special school holiday, with an additional day off on 15 June 2026.

The dates for the 2026 terms are as follows:

Term 1: 14 January to 27 March

Term 2: 8 April to 26 June

Term 3: 21 July to 23 September

Term 4: 6 October to 9 December