When Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress arrived to power at the end of the Apartheid in South Africa in 1994, they chose to change all of the national holidays to new national holidays that might be meaningful to all South Africans. In accessory for creating new national holidays, Mandela led the congress to produce The Public Holidays Act, which states that whenever any public holiday falls on the Sunday, the Monday following it will likely be a public holiday. Mandela and the congress created seven new national holidays for the country, with the about uniting its citizens and remembering everything they've fought for.

Human Rights Day, celebrated on March 21st, remembers people who died on this day in 1960, because of police brutality. A number of these people were shot in the back while peacefully protesting and the shootings led the government to ban black political organizations altogether. Human Rights Day was made as a step to make sure that the people of South Africa know about their human rights and to make sure that such abuses no more occur. On April 27th, South Africans celebrate Freedom Day in honor of the first democratic elections held in 1994 in addition to when the new constitution took effect in 1997. Worker's Day, celebrated on May 1st, is South Africa's version of the labor day. It's traditionally been each day to protest for better wages and working conditions, and given the role that trade unions played in the fight for freedom in South Africa, it's unsurprising that they would commemorate each day such as this. On June 16th, Youth Day is well known in South Africa in honor of the young people who lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid and Bantu Education. National Women's Day is well known on August 9th, and is supposed to serve as a reminder of the contribution produced by women to society, the achievements which have been made for women's rights, and to acknowledge the difficulties and prejudices many women still face. Heritage Day on September 24th honors the diversity of South Africa, including its different cultures, customs, traditions, histories, and languages. Day's Reconciliation on December 16th is really a day to focus on overcoming the conflicts of the past and creating a new nation. Many of these national holidays are considered vitally important to South Africans simply because they hold a special, different meaning to every person. Most people get national holidays removed from work and all children receive national holidays removed from school.

Aside from the countries national holidays you will find five other public holidays that many South Africans celebrate. New Years Day is really a public holiday in South Africa because it is around the world and is celebrated in similar ways as the remainder of the Western world. The Day of Goodwill, honored on December 26th, the 24 hour as Boxing Day is well known in other parts of the world is really a day to give to those people who are less fortunate. The other three public holiday season is Christian holidays, consider South Africa is 80% Christian, nowadays are considered to be public holidays. Included in this are Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Xmas day. Employees are entitled to have a public holiday removed from work with pay, if however a person does work on the public holiday they're entitled to a paid day off in the same workweek. All students have public holidays removed from school.