Mpumalanga School Calendar for 2026

The Mpumalanga Government has released the revised school calendar and holidays (almanack) for the 2026 academic sessions. Newly admitted and returning students are to take note.

The 2025 school calendar for Mpumalanga has been released by the Department of Basic Education. The school year will start on January 14 and end on December 11, with four terms in between.

Public holidays include New Year’s Day, Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Workers Day, Youth Day, National Women’s Day, Heritage Day, Day of Reconciliation, Christmas Day, and the Day of Goodwill.

Schools will also have a special holiday on March 20 and a mid-year break from April 12 to June 23. Parents should take note that dates may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

It is important to plan ahead and make sure that you are aware of all upcoming school events so that your children can make the most of their education.

See below the Mpumalanga Department of Education academic calendar for primary and high school students for the 2026 academic year.

MPUMALANGA REVISED SCHOOL SESSIONAL AND HOLIDAY DATES FOR 2026 ACADEMIC SESSIONS

The academic calendar and holidays for the 2026 academic session as approved by the Mpumalanga Department of Education.

Category	Item	Date(s)	Details
TERM 1	Term 1 Duration	14 January – 27 March 2026	11 weeks (53/55 days)
	Special Note	12 January 2026	Alternative start date for inland schools (in brackets)
	End Date	27 March 2026	Term 1 concludes
TERM 2	Term 2 Duration	08 April – 26 June 2026	12 weeks (58 days)
	Public Holidays	15 June 2026	Special School Holiday
	Public Holiday	16 June 2026	Youth Day
	Actual School Days	—	54 days (after holidays)
TERM 3	Term 3 Duration	21 July – 02 October 2026	11 weeks (54 days)
	Public Holidays	09-10 August 2026	National Women’s Day + Public Holiday
	Actual School Days	—	51 days (after holidays)
TERM 4	Term 4 Duration	13 October – 09 December 2026	9 weeks (42/44 days)
	Special Note	11 December 2026	Alternative end date for inland schools (in brackets)
SUMMARY	Total Weeks	43 weeks	Full academic year
	Total Days	207 (211) days	With inland school alternative
	Total Public Holidays	5 + 2 special	During school terms
	Actual School Days	200 (204) days	After all holidays deducted
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS	New Year’s Day	01 January 2026	Public Holiday
	Human Rights Day	21 March 2026	Public Holiday
	Good Friday	03 April 2026	Public Holiday
	Family Day	06 April 2026	Public Holiday
	Freedom Day	27 April 2026	Public Holiday
	Workers’ Day	01 May 2026	Public Holiday
	Youth Day	16 June 2026	Public Holiday
	National Women’s Day	09 August 2026	Public Holiday
	Public Holiday	10 August 2026	Public Holiday (observed)
	Heritage Day	24 September 2026	Public Holiday
	Day of Reconciliation	16 December 2026	Public Holiday
	Christmas Day	25 December 2026	Public Holiday
	Day of Goodwill	26 December 2026	Public Holiday
SPECIAL SCHOOL HOLIDAYS	Special School Holiday	15 June 2026	During Term 2
	Special School Holiday	25 September 2026	During Term 3
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES	Call for Comments	Published 15 October 2024	Government Gazette No. 51399
	Comment Deadline	15 November 2024	One month after publication
	Contact	Mr S Mlambo	Mlambo.S@dbe.gov.za
	Issued by	Siviwe Gwarube, MP	Minister of Basic Education
	Legal Authority	Section 3(4)(k)	National Education Policy Act, 1996 (Act No. 27 of 1996)

Notes:

Inland vs Coastal Schools: The calendar shows alternative dates in brackets (e.g., 12 January and 11 December) which typically apply to inland schools, while the primary dates apply to coastal schools
Special School Holidays: Two additional school holidays designated by the Minister (15 June and 25 September)
Total Variations: Numbers in brackets indicate differences for inland schools where applicable