SEPTEMBER 2026 – SOUTH AFRICA
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION DAY
It is important that employers note the following:
Declaration of 4 November 2026 as public holiday
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared Wednesday, 4 November 2026 a public holiday throughout South Africa under section 2A of the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. The declaration was published on 8 September 2026 as Proclamation Notice 346 of 2026 in Government Gazette No. 55352.
This follows the earlier publication of Government Gazette No. 55162 on 7 August 2026, in which the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs formally called the local government elections and set 4 November 2026 as the election date.
Employers should update their payroll and leave calendars and review work schedules, including any annual leave already planned by employees. Employees who are required to work on the public holiday must agree to do so and be paid in accordance with section 18 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. If the public holiday falls during an employee’s annual leave on a day they would ordinarily have worked, the employee must be granted an additional paid day of leave.
To view the Government Gazette, follow the link.
