The Department of Basic Education has published the 2026 school calendar, which begins on 14 January 2026 for all learners across South Africa. The calendar continues the policy introduced in 2024, ensuring that schools in both coastal and inland regions start the academic year on the same date.

Teachers and administrative staff will return earlier, beginning preparations on 12 January ahead of learners’ arrival.

Term Dates For 2026

The academic year will be divided into four terms:

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

The school year will consist of 200 teaching days across the four terms. In addition, 28 days are allocated for school holidays alongside five public holidays.

Special School Holiday Announced

The department has confirmed one additional special school holiday on 15 June 2026. This decision provides an extended break ahead of Youth Day, which is observed on Tuesday, 16 June.

In South Africa, special school holidays can be approved by the Department of Basic Education in consultation with key stakeholders. These include representatives from the Department of Transport, religious organisations, non governmental organisations, the private sector, and the education department itself.

When finalising the 2026 calendar, stakeholders agreed to provide an additional day off for both learners and educators due to the Youth Day public holiday falling midweek.

Reason For Unified School Start Dates

The National Department of Basic Education explained that synchronising start dates for coastal and inland schools ensures smoother academic planning and prevents delays in the school year.

“All possible steps must be taken to avoid a late start of the school year – that is, in the fourth week of January as this pushes back all the terms. Each year, the Department reviews the impact of the policy and considers the number of days that will be available in the coming years based on the national calendar. The focus is on ensuring that there is no loss in terms of the number of days allocated for schooling.”

The National Department of Basic Education

Private School Calendar Differences

Private schools affiliated with the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa will begin the academic year on the same date, 14 January 2026. However, independent schools will generally have fewer school days compared with public schools. According to ISASA guidelines, independent schools will conclude the academic year on 4 December 2026. This marks a one day earlier start compared with 2025, when schools opened on 15 January.

Some private institutions, including those in Kwa Zulu Natal, follow a four term system similar to public schools. These schools are expected to have 183 teaching days in 2026, which is one fewer day than the 184 recorded in 2025. Many private schools operate using a three term system. These institutions will have approximately 180 school days, which is fewer than four term private schools. There is no single academic calendar that applies to all independent schools in South Africa. While many private institutions align with the public school calendar, others follow association guidelines or develop their own term schedules. The ISASA Central Region Calendar is published as a guideline for schools in Gauteng, Free State, North West, and Northern Cape.