Hours calculator: South Africa
Work calendar for South Africa with public holidays, weekends, transferred and shortened working days, the monthly working-hours norm and the hours calculator set to South Africa's overtime and break rules.
Defaults to your region. Switch to compare any other scale.
Breaks: 60 min if you work more than 5 h. Week: overtime above 45 h, paid at ×1.5. Law: Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, ss. 9, 10, 14, 17, 18; Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
Optional: add dates to flag public holidays in the selected country and add the holiday premium to the pay.
Optional: add dates to flag public holidays in the selected country and add the holiday premium to the pay.
Optional: add dates to flag public holidays in the selected country and add the holiday premium to the pay.
Optional: add dates to flag public holidays in the selected country and add the holiday premium to the pay.
Optional: add dates to flag public holidays in the selected country and add the holiday premium to the pay.
Gross pay per hour, in the currency of the selected country.
Applied to hours above the weekly limit, so enter one week of shifts. The default follows the selected country.
Result
40:00
Total hours worked
40.00 hours in decimal
- Decimal hours40.00
- Days entered5
- Average per day8:00
- Total unpaid breaks2:30
- Regular hours40:00
- Overtime hours0:00
- Days with too short a break5
Some breaks are shorter than the legal minimum
See the days marked in the table. Rules for South Africa: Breaks: 60 min if you work more than 5 h. Week: overtime above 45 h, paid at ×1.5. Law: Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, ss. 9, 10, 14, 17, 18; Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
Show amortization
| Day | Time | Break | Worked | Decimal | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 09:00–17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 | break under 60 min |
| Day 2 | 09:00–17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 | break under 60 min |
| Day 3 | 09:00–17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 | break under 60 min |
| Day 4 | 09:00–17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 | break under 60 min |
| Day 5 | 09:00–17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 | break under 60 min |
Working-time rules: South Africa
- Standard working time: 45 h per week, 9 h per day.
- Weekly rest days: Saturday, Sunday.
- Overtime: at least +50% on top of the normal hourly rate.
- Overtime limit: 10 h per week.
- Night work: no fixed statutory premium; it is set by contract or collective agreement.
- Work on a public holiday: at least +100%.
- Legal basis: Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, ss. 9, 10, 14, 17, 18; Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
Work calendar 2026: South Africa
- Working day
- Weekend
- Public holiday
- Bridge day off (transferred)
- Transferred working day
January
21 / 189 hFebruary
20 / 180 hMarch
22 / 198 hApril
19 / 171 hMay
20 / 180 hJune
21 / 189 hJuly
23 / 207 hAugust
20 / 180 hSeptember
21 / 189 hOctober
22 / 198 hNovember
21 / 189 hDecember
21 / 189 hPublic holidays 2026: South Africa
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| March 21 | Saturday | Human Rights Day |
| April 3 | Friday | Good Friday |
| April 6 | Monday | Family Day |
| April 27 | Monday | Freedom Day |
| May 1 | Friday | Workers' Day |
| June 16 | Tuesday | Youth Day |
| August 9 | Sunday | National Women's Day |
| August 10 | Monday | Public Holiday |
| September 24 | Thursday | Heritage Day |
| December 16 | Wednesday | Day of Reconciliation |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Saturday | Day of Goodwill |
Working days and hours by month 2026
Calculated for a 5-day week of 9 h per day: public holidays on weekdays are days off.
| Month | Working days | Working hours | Holidays on weekdays |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 189 | 1 |
| February | 20 | 180 | 0 |
| March | 22 | 198 | 0 |
| April | 19 | 171 | 3 |
| May | 20 | 180 | 1 |
| June | 21 | 189 | 1 |
| July | 23 | 207 | 0 |
| August | 20 | 180 | 1 |
| September | 21 | 189 | 1 |
| October | 22 | 198 | 0 |
| November | 21 | 189 | 0 |
| December | 21 | 189 | 2 |
| Year total | 251 | 2,259 | 10 |
Formula
Worked time = end − start − unpaid breakIf end < start (overnight): worked time = end + 24 h − start − breakDecimal hours = hours + minutes ÷ 60 (e.g. 7:45 = 7.75)Overtime = total weekly hours − weekly limit (if positive)Pay = regular hours × rate + overtime hours × rate × overtime multiplier
How it is calculated
- Pick your country in the Standard menu to load its break rules and weekly limit.
- Enter the start and end time for each day and the length of the unpaid break.
- Add or remove days so the list covers one week (or any period you need).
- Optionally enter your hourly rate to see regular pay, overtime pay and the total.
- Check the table for days where the break is shorter than the legal minimum.
Questions
How many working days and hours are there in South Africa in 2026?
251 working days and 2,259 working hours on a 5-day week of 9 h per day. 10 public holidays fall on weekdays.
What are the public holidays in South Africa in 2026?
January 1 – New Year's Day; March 21 – Human Rights Day; April 3 – Good Friday; April 6 – Family Day; April 27 – Freedom Day; May 1 – Workers' Day; June 16 – Youth Day; August 9 – National Women's Day; August 10 – Public Holiday; September 24 – Heritage Day; December 16 – Day of Reconciliation; December 25 – Christmas Day; December 26 – Day of Goodwill
How are overtime and holiday work paid in South Africa?
Overtime: at least +50% on top of the normal hourly rate. Work on a public holiday: at least +100%.