Public holidays in Botswana 2026
Data updated Saturday, 17 October 2026.
Next public holiday in Botswana
Christmas Day
Is today a holiday in Botswana? · Is tomorrow a holiday? · All public holidays
Botswana public holidays 2026
Botswana has 11 nationwide public holidays in 2026.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Thu | New Year's Day | Nationwide |
| 3 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | Nationwide |
| 6 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | Nationwide |
| 1 May | Fri | Labour Day | Nationwide |
| 14 May | Thu | Ascension Day | Nationwide |
| 1 Jul | Wed | Sir Seretse Khama Day | Nationwide |
| 20 Jul | Mon | Presidents' Day | Nationwide |
| 30 Sep | Wed | Independence Day | Nationwide |
| 1 Oct | Thu | Botswana Day holiday | Nationwide |
| 25 Dec | Fri | Christmas Day | Nationwide |
| 26 Dec | Sat | St. Stephen's Day Boxing Day | Nationwide |
Long weekends in Botswana in 2026
Nationwide holidays that fall on a Friday or Monday give a three-day weekend:
- Friday, 3 April 2026: Good Friday (Friday to Sunday)
- Monday, 6 April 2026: Easter Monday (Saturday to Monday)
- Friday, 1 May 2026: Labour Day (Friday to Sunday)
- Monday, 20 July 2026: Presidents' Day (Saturday to Monday)
- Friday, 25 December 2026: Christmas Day (Friday to Sunday)
Botswana public holidays 2027
Botswana has 11 nationwide public holidays in 2027.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Fri | New Year's Day | Nationwide |
| 26 Mar | Fri | Good Friday | Nationwide |
| 29 Mar | Mon | Easter Monday | Nationwide |
| 1 May | Sat | Labour Day | Nationwide |
| 6 May | Thu | Ascension Day | Nationwide |
| 1 Jul | Thu | Sir Seretse Khama Day | Nationwide |
| 19 Jul | Mon | Presidents' Day | Nationwide |
| 30 Sep | Thu | Independence Day | Nationwide |
| 1 Oct | Fri | Botswana Day holiday | Nationwide |
| 25 Dec | Sat | Christmas Day | Nationwide |
| 26 Dec | Sun | St. Stephen's Day Boxing Day | Nationwide |
Long weekends in Botswana in 2027
Nationwide holidays that fall on a Friday or Monday give a three-day weekend:
- Friday, 1 January 2027: New Year's Day (Friday to Sunday)
- Friday, 26 March 2027: Good Friday (Friday to Sunday)
- Monday, 29 March 2027: Easter Monday (Saturday to Monday)
- Monday, 19 July 2027: Presidents' Day (Saturday to Monday)
- Friday, 1 October 2027: Botswana Day holiday (Friday to Sunday)
Botswana public holidays by month in 2026
- January: New Year's Day (1)
- April: Good Friday (3); Easter Monday (6)
- May: Labour Day (1); Ascension Day (14)
- July: Sir Seretse Khama Day (1); Presidents' Day (20)
- September: Independence Day (30)
- October: Botswana Day holiday (1)
- December: Christmas Day (25); St. Stephen's Day (26)
No nationwide public holidays in February, March, June, August, November.
How the holidays fall in 2026
The first nationwide public holiday of 2026 is New Year's Day on Thursday, 1 January 2026, and the last is St. Stephen's Day on Saturday, 26 December 2026. April is the busiest month, with 2 holidays. For people who work a standard Monday to Friday week, the 10 holidays on weekdays are the ones that usually mean a day away from work or school.
About public holidays in Botswana
This page lists the public holidays of Botswana for 2026 and 2027, with the date and weekday of each one. A holiday marked Nationwide applies everywhere in the country. One marked Some regions applies only to part of it, for example a state or province. Where the official name is different from the English one, the local name appears under it.
Moveable holidays, such as the ones counted from Easter, change their date from year to year, so it is worth checking the table each year before you plan. Our main time zone for Botswana is Africa/Gaborone, which is what the live countdown and the "is today a holiday" pages use.
More public holiday calendars in Africa
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
DR Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Botswana have in 2026?
Botswana has 11 nationwide public holidays in 2026. The full list with dates and weekdays is in the table above.
What is the next public holiday in Botswana?
The next nationwide public holiday is Christmas Day on Friday, 25 December 2026. The countdown at the top of this page shows the days left.
Is today a public holiday in Botswana?
Use the live checker: is today a public holiday in Botswana. It works out the date in Botswana's own time zone. You can also check tomorrow.
Which public holidays in Botswana fall on a weekend in 2026?
St. Stephen's Day (Saturday, 26 December 2026). Whether a day in lieu is given depends on local rules.
Are there long weekends in Botswana in 2026?
Yes. 5 nationwide holidays fall on a Friday or a Monday: Good Friday (Friday, 3 April 2026); Easter Monday (Monday, 6 April 2026); Labour Day (Friday, 1 May 2026); Presidents' Day (Monday, 20 July 2026); Christmas Day (Friday, 25 December 2026). Taking a bridge day next to a holiday on a Tuesday or Thursday can also give a longer break.
Which month has the most public holidays in Botswana?
April has the most nationwide public holidays in 2026: 2 holidays.
Are the public holidays the same in all regions of Botswana?
The holidays listed here apply nationwide. If Botswana has local or regional days off, they are not part of this list.
How often is this page updated?
The whole site is rebuilt every day from the latest data, and the countdown on the page is calculated in your browser, so it stays correct without a reload.