Planning to visit South Africa in 2019? Get the most out of your experience! Learn here about the most important holidays in South Africa - fast and easy with AfrikaansPod101!
| March 21, 2019 | Human Rights Day |
| April 27, 2019 | Freedom Day |
| May 1, 2019 | May Day |
| June 16, 2019 | Youth Day |
| June 21, 2019 | June Solstice |
| July 18, 2019 | Nelson Mandela Day |
| August 9, 2019 | National Women’s Day |
| September 23, 2019 | September equinox |
| September 24, 2019 | Heritage Day |
| December 16, 2019 | Day of Reconciliation |
| December 26, 2019 | Day of Goodwill |
How well do you know holidays in South Africa?
In this article, you learn all about the top South Africa holidays and the traditions and history behind them. Check the must-know Afrikaans vocabulary for popular holidays in South Africa too!
That way, you can easily talk about South African holidays while improving your vocabulary and overall speaking skills. You will pick up key vocab, phrases, and cultural insights you won’t find in a textbook.
Perfect for any student interested in learning more about South African culture. We will teach you the what, why, when and how of South Africa holidays.
The Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 led to the eventual celebration of Human Rights Day in South Africa. This holiday is celebrated on March 21 each year, and was first nationally recognized after the democratic election of Nelson Mandela as the country’s leader. On this day, the Parliament seeks to properly inform the South African population about what their rights as humans are, to fuel the continuance of democracy in the country.
This publicly celebrated South African holiday takes place on April 27 each year. Essentially, this holiday fosters the celebration of equal voting rights throughout South Africa, where at one time anyone of color had limited voting rights until 1994.
As in other countries, May 1 marks the celebration of May Day in South Africa. For this country, the holiday celebrates the better working conditions that South Africans now have after a long and hard battle of resistance and insistence around the time of World War I.
On June 16 each year, South Africans take the day off work and school to remember and mourn the Soweto Uprising that took place on June 16, 1976. This Uprising consisted of students from Gauteng—who, among many other black students—received subpar education, started a marching protest; many were shot and killed before they made it very far on their journey. South Africans, while still mournful, choose to also acknowledge the hope that younger generations can fulfill for the future of the country.
On the twenty-first of June, South Africa experiences its June Solstice (or midwinter). Because South Africa is in the southern hemisphere, this solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year.
South Africa’s late leader Nelson Mandela is perhaps the most important figure in the country’s recent history. This holiday, though not considered a public holiday, is celebrated by individuals on July 18 each year. In order to honor everything that Mandela gave to the country, and to the world, people are encouraged to take part in making the world a better place through such things as volunteering and helping those in need.
August 9 marks National Women’s Day for South Africans. This holiday is to remember the sacrifices made my about 20,000 women in 1956 who fought against highly discriminatory “pass laws” that were in the country at the time, which black women had to carry with them. Much marching and rallying led to the deaths of several of these women, and South Africa seeks to remember their efforts and the power of women in general. To this day, South African women are still gaining more rights and higher status.
The September Equinox is the beginning of spring for South Africa, and takes place on September 23.
On September 24, South Africans celebrate Heritage Day. This holiday was created as a way for South Africans to celebrate both the diversity of the people in the country, and their ultimate unity. Perhaps the most common way for South Africans to celebrate this day is to host barbecues (called braais) for their families, though celebrations are certainly not limited to this.
December 16 is the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa. At its core, this holiday—first started in 1994—is a day of remembrance and appreciation for the healing and unification of the parts of South Africa torn apart by the apartheid. One fascinating aspect of this holiday is that each year takes on a different theme than the last, and parades are a popular way of celebrating this holiday.
Previously called Boxing Day, the Day of Goodwill is celebrated as an extension of Christmas on December 26. On this day, people are encouraged to do good for others and many choose to spend this time with their family or close friends.
You may ask why it is advantageous to know South African holidays. There are a number of good reasons!
If you’re keen to learn Afrikaans on your own, there are a number of ways to do this. Why not choose holidays as a theme? You can start by learning about the South African culture, so find a video or TV program about holidays in South Africa. Better still - find a video or program about holidays in Afrikaans, and watch it a few times! That way your ear will get used to the spoken language. You could also watch South African movies without subtitles, as this too will train your ear to what correct Afrikaans sounds like.
If you’re more advanced in Afrikaans, you can practice your writing skills by writing a letter to your South African friend about the holidays video. Or write a short review of the video, and post it on social media! Imagine how impressed your friends will be!
Practice your Afrikaans pronunciation, and record yourself talking about your holiday in South Africa. Pronouncing words correctly in any language is very important, or you may find yourself saying things you don’t mean!
If you’re an absolute beginner, it would be best to start with a book, a CD series, free PDF cheat sheets and preferably your South African friend who can help you. Or, you can start with AfrikaansPod101, for free!
Holidays in South Africa can also be the perfect opportunity to practice your Afrikaans! For the best experience, make sure to master at least Level 1 of your Afrikaans lessons here on AfrikaansPod101 before you go on holiday to South Africa. Then don’t be shy! Use it with every native speaker you encounter in every situation. Practicing continuously to speak a language is one of the most important habits if you want to become fluent. Or, if you’re a new subscriber to AfrikaansPod101 in a hurry to get to South Africa, study Absolute Beginner Afrikaans for Every Day to help you get by as a traveller - you will be surprised how far a little Afrikaans can go!
AfrikaansPod101 is uniquely geared to help you master relevant, everyday vocabulary and phrases, pronounced correctly and in the right context - this will set you on the right track. Our courses are perfectly designed to help you in fun ways!
But do have a holiday first. Ideally you will enjoy a different culture with a visit, and enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine. Don’t wait till 2020 to learn Afrikaans through AfrikaansPod101 though - it will open a whole new world for you!
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