With Term 2 coming to an end, learners across South Africa are counting down the days to the June-July school holidays. Whether you're a parent planning ahead or learning and marking days on the calendar, here's a complete breakdown of what to expect over the next few weeks.
Term 2 will officially end Friday, June 26. This period began on 8 April, with both inland and coastal schools reopening on the same date, continuing a policy introduced in 2024 that standardises the national start date to prevent delays to the academic year and protect the total number of teaching days.
At 54 school days, Term 2 is the second longest term of the year.
First of all the long weekend is coming
Before the holidays officially start, Learners have something close to look forward to. Monday, June 15 A special school holiday has been declared, giving learners a four-day long weekend before Youth Day.
Tuesday, June 16 Youth Day is a national public holiday, meaning learners will only return to school on Wednesday, 17 June, ahead of the final phase of the term.
After June-July vacation, learners will return to school Tuesday, July 21To start Term 3. At 51 school days, Term 3 is the shortest term of the 2026 academic year, running from 21 July to. 23 september.
The entire 2026 school calendar at a glance
For parents planning ahead, the entire 2026 academic year is structured like this:
- period 1: 14 January – 27 March (53 days)
- Period 2: April 8 – June 26 (54 days)
- Period 3: July 21 – September 23 (51 days)
- Period 4: 6 October – 9 December (47 days)
The 2026 school year includes public holidays. However, local government elections are on public holidays Wednesday, November 4Will shorten Term 4 by one day, making the total school year slightly shorter.
Why does the calendar keep changing?
The Department of Basic Education reviews the school calendar every year to ensure that no teaching and learning day is wasted unnecessarily. The Department aims to provide a consistent and predictable framework for students and teachers across the country, balancing public holidays, regional requirements and the minimum number of required teaching days.
Parents are encouraged to use the upcoming long weekend and holiday period to plan family visits, childcare arrangements and any activities ahead of time, especially given how soon the Term 3 return date of 21 July will arrive.