New school term calendars for South Africa: BIG changes to start dates

The Department of Basic Education has gazetted the confirmed and proposed school calendars for 2025 and 2026, respectively.

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According to the BusinessTech website, they feature significant changes in terms of the start dates for schools around the country.

Public schools in South Africa have to date followed a staggered opening structure each year.

Inland schools – Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West – typically start classes a week earlier than the coastal schools in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.

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As reported by The South African website, inland schools started on 11 January this year, while coastal schools started a week later (18 January).

However, from 2024 – and continuing in 2025 and 2026 – the department plans for schools in both coastal and inland regions to start and end at the same time.

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Holidaymakers in particular will have to plan better in the years ahead with more cars on the roads with families returning home at similar times to prepare for the first day of the school year.

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Calendars for 2024, 2025 and 2026

The 2024 public school calendar starts on 17 January and ends on 11 December, delivering a total of 203 school days.

There will also be fewer school holidays in 2024, with the calendar making provision for just 25 days off, compared to 32 days in 2023 and 33 in 2022.

Terms in 2024:

• Term 1: 17 January to 20 March
• Term 2: 3 April to 14 June
• Term 3: 9 July to 20 September
• Term 4: 1 October to 11 December

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The newly gazetted and confirmed school calendar for 2025 will see all schools start on 15 January and end on 10 December.

The calendar makes room for 199 school days, 27 school holidays and 10 public and special holidays during school terms.

Terms in 2025:

• Term 1: 15 January to 28 March
• Term 2: 8 April to 27 June
• Term 3: 22 July to 3 October
• Term 4: 13 October to 10 December

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The 2026 calendar proposes a start date for all schools on 14 January, ending on 9 December.

In 2026, the calendar makes provision for 200 school days, 27 school holidays and seven public and special holidays during school terms.

Proposed terms in 2026:

• Term 1: 14 January to 27 March
• Term 2: 8 April to 26 June
• Term 3: 21 July to 2 October
• Term 4: 13 October to 9 December

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