The school academic year starts mid-January and ends early December.
The year is normally split into 4 terms:
Term 1: mid-January to late March/early April (10-day break)
Term 2: early April to mid-June (3-week break)
Term 3: early July to late September (10-day break)
Term 4: beginning of October to early December
See our School Holiday Calendar
Private Schools
Independent (private) schools may have a slightly different calendar. There are no universal term dates or calendars that apply to all independent schools in South Africa. Many independent schools (especially four-term schools) follow the public schools calendar, while others follow an association calendar. Some independent schools follow their own specific calendars.
The school day typically starts at 08:00 but may start as early as 07:00 in the summer in the northern provinces. Schools which start early finish early too, usually around 13:00 for the lower grade and between 14:00 and 15:00 for the higher grades. Some schools provide a school bus service.
Many schools have good facilities for sports with these being practiced after school hours.
See our School Holiday Calendar