How to get 10 days off in South Africa in 2027 using just three leave days

South Africans who want to make their annual leave go further in 2027 should take a close look at the public holiday calendar, which offers several opportunities to enjoy longer breaks.

The calendar includes two particularly useful windows for employees hoping to spend 10 consecutive days away from work, without using up too much of their annual leave.

There are also several long weekends spread throughout the year that could make shorter getaways easier to plan.

Two opportunities to get 10 days off in 2027

March: Turn three leave days into a 10-day break

The first opportunity arrives in March, when Human Rights Day and the Easter weekend fall close together.

Employees who book annual leave for 23, 24 and 25 March can take a 10-day break from Saturday, 20 March, to Monday, 29 March.

The period includes Human Rights Day on Sunday, 21 March, with the public holiday observed on Monday, 22 March, followed by Good Friday on 26 March and Family Day on 29 March.

This gives employees a useful window for a longer holiday, with only three days of annual leave required.

December: Four leave days for another 10-day break

And there’s another opportunity at the end of the year. By booking leave from 28 to 31 December, employees can enjoy 10 consecutive days off, from Saturday, 25 December, 2027, to Monday, 3 January, 2028.

The break includes Christmas Day, the Day of Goodwill (observed on the 27th because it falls on a Sunday) and New Year’s Day, alongside the weekends.

This option requires four days of annual leave, making it another useful opportunity for those planning a festive-season holiday.

South Africa’s long weekends in 2027

Employees do not necessarily need to use annual leave to enjoy a few days away. Several public holidays fall on or close to weekends in 2027, creating opportunities for shorter breaks.

Public holiday	Dates
New Year’s Day	Friday, 1 January – Sunday, 3 January
Human Rights Day	Saturday, 20 March – Monday, 22 March
Easter weekend	Friday, 26 March – Monday, 29 March
National Women’s Day	Saturday, 7 August – Monday, 9 August
Heritage Day	Friday, 24 September – Sunday, 26 September
Christmas and Day of Goodwill	Saturday, 25 December – Monday, 27 December

These dates could be useful for planning a weekend away, visiting family or taking a short road trip without dipping into annual leave.

The March and December breaks are likely to be particularly popular with people looking to travel for longer periods, so submitting leave requests long before the dates could make a significant difference to how much time they get away from work in 2027.