Annual Leave Calculator South Africa 2026
Work out annual leave under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act — 21 consecutive days a year, which is 15 working days on a five-day week — pro-rated for part-time staff.
Use 2.5 for someone working alternate days.
Statutory minimum is 15 days. Raise it if your contract is more generous.
Leave booked or used so far this leave year.
Pro-rates the allowance across the months actually worked.
Entitlement
15days
This is the statutory minimum for this pattern.
Remaining
15days
Entitlement less the days already taken.
Statutory floor
15days
3 weeks × 5 days a week.
Public holidays on top
12days
Total including public holidays: 27 days.
Statutory figures follow South African Department of Employment and Labour — BCEA. Every value above is editable, because contracts and awards often improve on the legal minimum. This calculator is a guide, not legal advice — check your own contract or the authority linked above before acting on a figure.
How South African annual leave is calculated
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act gives employees 21 consecutive days of paid annual leave for each leave cycle of 12 months. On a five-day working week that works out to 15 working days; on a six-day week it is 18.
The Act allows two alternatives that produce the same result for irregular patterns: one day of leave for every 17 days worked, or one hour for every 17 hours worked.
South Africa's twelve public holidays are a separate entitlement and cannot be counted inside the annual leave allowance.
Need to record the result somewhere? Grab the free leave tracker template and keep a running balance for every employee.
Track time off and accruals on autopilot.
Employees request time off in seconds, balances stay accurate, and approvals happen in a tap — no spreadsheets, no manual math.
Multiple time-off types
Manage vacation, sick leave, personal days and custom leave types in one place. Employees request time off, view balances, and get real-time updates. Managers set custom rules, automate approvals, and get reports on usage.
- Custom leave types
- Real-time balances
- One-tap approvals
- Automated accruals
Days or hours
Track time off in days or hours — whichever fits your policies.
Automated accruals
Accrue by tenure, hours worked, anniversary — weekly, 2-weeks, monthly or yearly.
- Tenure rules
- Carry forward
- Probations
- Anniversary
Time off notifications
Employees and managers get instant updates on requests and approvals.
Vacation dashboard
See who's off, who's sick, and who's remote across the whole company.
Statutory annual leave by country
The legal minimum paid annual leave for a full-time employee on a five-day week, and whether public holidays are granted on top. Employers frequently offer more than the floor shown here.
| Country | Annual leave | Public holidays | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 days | — | 5.6 weeks; employers may count the 8 bank holidays within it. |
| Ireland | 20 days | +10 | 4 weeks, or 8% of hours worked, whichever is greater. |
| Australia | 20 days | +11 | 4 weeks under the NES, accruing progressively; plus long service leave. |
| New Zealand | 20 days | +12 | 4 weeks after 12 months of continuous employment. |
| Canada | 10 days | +9 | 2 weeks federally, rising with service; provinces set their own floors. |
| United States | None | — | No federal statutory paid leave; PTO is set entirely by employer policy. |
| India | 15 days | +3 | Earned leave varies by state Act; Factories Act gives 1 day per 20 worked. |
| Singapore | 7 days | +11 | 7 days in year one, rising by 1 a year to 14 days. |
| United Arab Emirates | 30 days | +14 | 30 calendar days a year after 12 months of service. |
| Saudi Arabia | 21 days | +4 | 21 days, rising to 30 after five years of service. |
| South Africa | 15 days | +12 | 21 consecutive days, i.e. 15 working days on a 5-day week. |
| Philippines | 5 days | +18 | 5 days service incentive leave, usable as vacation or sick leave. |
| Germany | 20 days | +9 | 20 days statutory on a 5-day week; 25–30 is the norm in practice. |
| France | 25 days | +11 | 5 weeks, accrued at 2.5 working days per month worked. |
| Spain | 22 days | +14 | 30 calendar days, i.e. 22 working days on a 5-day week. |
| Mexico | 12 days | +7 | 12 days in year one since the 2023 reform, rising with service. |
Frequently asked questions
How many leave days am I entitled to in South Africa?
The BCEA gives 21 consecutive days of paid annual leave per 12-month leave cycle, which equals 15 working days for someone on a five-day week, or 18 working days on a six-day week.
How is annual leave calculated for part-time employees?
The BCEA allows one day of annual leave for every 17 days worked, or one hour for every 17 hours worked. This produces a fair pro-rata result for employees who do not work a fixed five-day week.
Can annual leave be carried over in South Africa?
Leave must be granted within six months of the end of the leave cycle in which it was earned. Employers may allow carry-over beyond that by agreement, but statutory leave cannot simply be forfeited.
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