Long Weekend and Leave Planner 2027
Make your leave go further. Compare South African long weekends and the exact days to request in 2027.
For a Monday-to-Friday working week. All breaks stay within 2027. Check your work schedule and have leave approved before booking.
Long weekends: no leave needed
3 days off
Fri, 1 January 2027 – Sun, 3 January 2027
New Year’s Day
3 days off
Sat, 20 March 2027 – Mon, 22 March 2027
Human Rights Day · Human Rights Day (observed)
4 days off
Fri, 26 March 2027 – Mon, 29 March 2027
Good Friday · Family Day
3 days off
Sat, 7 August 2027 – Mon, 9 August 2027
National Women’s Day
3 days off
Fri, 24 September 2027 – Sun, 26 September 2027
Heritage Day
3 days off
Sat, 25 December 2027 – Mon, 27 December 2027
Christmas Day · Day of Goodwill · Day of Goodwill (observed)
Turn leave into longer breaks
Best days off per leave day first. Overlapping options are alternatives: don’t add their totals together.
19 options
Take 1 day’s leave, get 4 days off
Sat, 24 April 2027 – Tue, 27 April 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 26 April 2027
Freedom Day · 4 days off per leave day
Take 1 day’s leave, get 4 days off
Thu, 16 December 2027 – Sun, 19 December 2027
Leave to request: Fri, 17 December 2027
Day of Reconciliation · 4 days off per leave day
Take 3 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Sat, 20 March 2027 – Mon, 29 March 2027
Leave to request: Tue, 23 March 2027, Wed, 24 March 2027, Thu, 25 March 2027
Human Rights Day · Human Rights Day (observed) · Good Friday · Family Day · 3.33 days off per leave day
Take 4 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Fri, 26 March 2027 – Sun, 4 April 2027
Leave to request: Tue, 30 March 2027, Wed, 31 March 2027, Thu, 1 April 2027, Fri, 2 April 2027
Good Friday · Family Day · 2.5 days off per leave day
Take 2 days’ leave, get 5 days off
Sat, 12 June 2027 – Wed, 16 June 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 14 June 2027, Tue, 15 June 2027
Youth Day · 2.5 days off per leave day
Take 2 days’ leave, get 5 days off
Wed, 16 June 2027 – Sun, 20 June 2027
Leave to request: Thu, 17 June 2027, Fri, 18 June 2027
Youth Day · 2.5 days off per leave day
Take 4 days’ leave, get 9 days off
Sat, 24 April 2027 – Sun, 2 May 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 26 April 2027, Wed, 28 April 2027, Thu, 29 April 2027, Fri, 30 April 2027
Freedom Day · Workers’ Day · 2.25 days off per leave day
Take 4 days’ leave, get 9 days off
Sat, 12 June 2027 – Sun, 20 June 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 14 June 2027, Tue, 15 June 2027, Thu, 17 June 2027, Fri, 18 June 2027
Youth Day · 2.25 days off per leave day
Take 4 days’ leave, get 9 days off
Sat, 7 August 2027 – Sun, 15 August 2027
Leave to request: Tue, 10 August 2027, Wed, 11 August 2027, Thu, 12 August 2027, Fri, 13 August 2027
National Women’s Day · 2.25 days off per leave day
Take 4 days’ leave, get 9 days off
Sat, 18 September 2027 – Sun, 26 September 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 20 September 2027, Tue, 21 September 2027, Wed, 22 September 2027, Thu, 23 September 2027
Heritage Day · 2.25 days off per leave day
Take 4 days’ leave, get 9 days off
Sat, 11 December 2027 – Sun, 19 December 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 13 December 2027, Tue, 14 December 2027, Wed, 15 December 2027, Fri, 17 December 2027
Day of Reconciliation · 2.25 days off per leave day
Take 5 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Fri, 1 January 2027 – Sun, 10 January 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 4 January 2027, Tue, 5 January 2027, Wed, 6 January 2027, Thu, 7 January 2027, Fri, 8 January 2027
New Year’s Day · 2 days off per leave day
Take 5 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Sat, 13 March 2027 – Mon, 22 March 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 15 March 2027, Tue, 16 March 2027, Wed, 17 March 2027, Thu, 18 March 2027, Fri, 19 March 2027
Human Rights Day · Human Rights Day (observed) · 2 days off per leave day
Take 5 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Sat, 31 July 2027 – Mon, 9 August 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 2 August 2027, Tue, 3 August 2027, Wed, 4 August 2027, Thu, 5 August 2027, Fri, 6 August 2027
National Women’s Day · 2 days off per leave day
Take 5 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Fri, 24 September 2027 – Sun, 3 October 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 27 September 2027, Tue, 28 September 2027, Wed, 29 September 2027, Thu, 30 September 2027, Fri, 1 October 2027
Heritage Day · 2 days off per leave day
Take 5 days’ leave, get 10 days off
Sat, 18 December 2027 – Mon, 27 December 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 20 December 2027, Tue, 21 December 2027, Wed, 22 December 2027, Thu, 23 December 2027, Fri, 24 December 2027
Christmas Day · Day of Goodwill · Day of Goodwill (observed) · 2 days off per leave day
Take 3 days’ leave, get 6 days off
Tue, 27 April 2027 – Sun, 2 May 2027
Leave to request: Wed, 28 April 2027, Thu, 29 April 2027, Fri, 30 April 2027
Freedom Day · Workers’ Day · 2 days off per leave day
Take 3 days’ leave, get 6 days off
Sat, 11 December 2027 – Thu, 16 December 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 13 December 2027, Tue, 14 December 2027, Wed, 15 December 2027
Day of Reconciliation · 2 days off per leave day
Take 5 days’ leave, get 9 days off
Sat, 1 May 2027 – Sun, 9 May 2027
Leave to request: Mon, 3 May 2027, Tue, 4 May 2027, Wed, 5 May 2027, Thu, 6 May 2027, Fri, 7 May 2027
Workers’ Day · 1.8 days off per leave day
How it works
The planner uses the 2027 public holidays. It joins whole weekends and public holiday breaks by taking the working days between them as leave, up to five days per option.
Days off include both the start and end date. Weekends and public holidays never use leave.
Only breaks with at least one public holiday are shown. Use the leave filter to compare options with the same leave cost.
Questions
Who is this planner for?
People who normally work Monday to Friday and have weekends and South African public holidays off. Shift workers and people who work Saturdays may need different leave dates.
How are the best breaks ranked?
Breaks are sorted by total consecutive days off divided by leave days used. Ties show the longer break first, then the earlier date. The planner checks every combination of whole weekends and holiday breaks using one to five leave days within 2027.
Are school holidays included?
No. Only weekends and the public holidays already used by this site count as days off. School holidays are separate.
Can I book these dates straight away?
Check your work schedule and get leave approved by your employer before booking. These are planning suggestions, not leave entitlements.
Does this include breaks crossing into another year?
No. All dates shown are within 1 January to 31 December 2027. You may be able to extend a break into December 2026 or January 2028.