2027 SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL CALENDARS
2027 School Calendars for South Africa
Plan the 2027 school year with confidence. Download the public-school or ISASA / SAHISA Central Region calendar, check term dates and school holidays, and plan childcare around your family’s year.
SCHOOL YEAR PLANNER
2027
South African School Calendars
Term dates
School holidays
Public holidays
Public schools and ISASA / SAHISA Central Region
Two Clear Downloads
Public and independent-school options
Term Dates at a Glance
The key dates without the searching
Important Holidays
Public and special school holidays
Holiday Care Planning
A useful next step for working parents
DOWNLOAD THE RIGHT CALENDAR
Download Your 2027 School Calendar
Choose your 2027 school calendar below. Check with your school if you are unsure which one it follows. Need another year? View the 2026 school calendars.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
South African Public Schools
The official national 2027 calendar for public schools, including term dates, public holidays and the special school holiday.
Choose this if your child attends a public or government school.
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
ISASA / SAHISA Central Region
A guideline for Central Region independent schools, with four-term and three-term options. Schools are not required to follow these dates.
Choose this only if your school follows the ISASA / SAHISA Central Region calendar.
Not sure which calendar applies? Public and government schools use the national public-school calendar. Private and independent schools may follow ISASA dates or their own calendar, so check directly with your school.
TERM DATES AT A GLANCE
Key 2027 School Term Dates
Each range shows the first and last school day of the term. All dates below are for 2027. Choose the calendar your child’s school follows.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
National Four-Term Calendar
Term 1
13 Jan – 19 Mar
Term 2
6 Apr – 25 Jun
Term 3
20 Jul – 22 Sep
Term 4
5 Oct – 8 Dec
Dates shown are for children. Staff administration days are 11–12 January and 9–10 December. Children finish on 8 December.
ISASA CENTRAL REGION
Independent Four-Term Calendar
Term 1
13 Jan – 19 Mar
Term 2
13 Apr – 25 Jun
Term 3
20 Jul – 17 Sep
Term 4
5 Oct – 1 Dec
Central Region guideline only. Includes a school holiday on 26 April. Confirm dates with your school.
ISASA CENTRAL REGION
Independent Three-Term Calendar
Term 1
13 Jan – 9 Apr
Term 2
5 May – 6 Aug
Term 3
7 Sep – 3 Dec
Three-term half-term breaks
Term 1: Close Thursday 18 February at 12:00 (midday). Return Tuesday 23 February.
Term 2: Close Friday 25 June. Return Monday 5 July.
Term 3: Close Thursday 21 October at 12:00 (midday). Return Tuesday 26 October.
Confirm closing times and dates with your school.
PUBLIC AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
2027 Public Holidays and School Holidays
Public holidays apply nationally. Monday 26 April is an extra school holiday, not a public holiday. It appears in both the public-school and ISASA Central Region four-term calendars. Independent schools may use different school dates.
January to March
1 Jan
New Year’s Day
21 Mar
Human Rights Day
22 Mar
Public Holiday
Human Rights Day observed
26 Mar
Good Friday
29 Mar
Family Day
April to June
26 Apr
Special School Holiday
Public schools
27 Apr
Freedom Day
1 May
Workers’ Day
16 Jun
Youth Day
July to September
9 Aug
National Women’s Day
24 Sep
Heritage Day
October to December
16 Dec
Day of Reconciliation
25 Dec
Christmas Day
26 Dec
Day of Goodwill
27 Dec
Public Holiday
Day of Goodwill observed
Checked on 11 October 2026. Sources: final Department of Basic Education 2027 calendar and ISASA / SAHISA Central Region 2027 calendar (updated October 2025). Always check school-specific dates with your school.
WHEN SCHOOL CLOSES
Make Holiday Care Part of the Plan
School holidays do not always line up with time off work. Club Engage holiday care gives children safe, active and engaging days while parents keep work and family plans moving. Check each location for confirmed programme dates and booking availability.
- Convenient locations across South Africa
- Flexible booking options for busy families
- A varied programme of play, creativity and discovery
COMMON CALENDAR QUESTIONS
School Calendar FAQs
Clear answers to help you choose the right download and plan with confidence.
Choose the public-school calendar if your child attends a public or government school. If your child attends a private or independent school, confirm whether it follows the ISASA / SAHISA Central Region calendar or its own dates.
Yes. The Department of Basic Education published one national 2027 calendar for public schools. The downloadable calendar above contains the official term, public-holiday and special-school-holiday dates.
No. Independent schools can use different calendars. The download on this page is specifically for the ISASA / SAHISA Central Region and includes both four-term and three-term schedules.
Calendars are published in advance, but a school may communicate changes or additional dates. Use these calendars for planning and confirm final arrangements with your child’s school.
Find holiday care near you and check the site’s confirmed dates, age ranges and booking options. Visit our parent information page to learn more about Club Engage care.
Yes. Club Engage creates a new annual calendar resource when the next official calendars are available, so families can return for the latest school-year planning information.
Children start on Wednesday 13 January and finish on Wednesday 8 December 2027. Staff administration days are 11–12 January and 9–10 December. The cards above show the first and last school day of each term.
The breaks between terms run from 20 March to 5 April, 26 June to 19 July, and 23 September to 4 October, including weekends. The year-end learner holiday begins on 9 December. There is also a special school holiday on 26 April. Independent-school breaks can differ.
View our 2026 school calendars for previous-year dates and downloads.
Ready to Plan the School Holidays?
Find a Club Engage location and see what holiday care is available near your family.
