The festive season is over and the year has officially begun. Here are five things you need to know at the start of the year.
As the new year gets underway, South Africans are adjusting to life after the festive season. This includes the long travelling hours as everyone returns home.
Nearly 8 000 vehicles per hour crossed the toll booth between Heidelberg and Cedara on the N3 highway between 11am and 1pm on Sunday as people returned to Gauteng.
Those flying out of Gauteng from OR Tambo International Airport have also experienced delays due to human resource constraints at the Air Traffic Control station.
Sadly, some beachgoers may not be returning home, as at least twelve people who were washed out to sea at several beaches have not yet been found.
From changes that affect your wallet to government decisions that may affect your day-to-day life, here are five things you need to know at the start of the year.
Schools reopening: What’s new?
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has confirmed that public schools will reopen on 14 January 2026.
Last year, the department gazetted several changes to the national policy for determining school calendars, which will come into effect this year.
Among the biggest shifts is the scrapping of staggered calendars, meaning all provinces will now start and end the school year at the same time.
The proposed policy states that “schools must open in the third week of January”, ending the long-standing system that saw inland provinces start a week earlier than coastal ones.
READ MORE: Here’s when schools open for 2026
New year starts with fuel prices drop
Road travellers who opt to return home after Wednesday will have two things to celebrate: low traffic volumes and the decreased fuel prices.
Motorists have some welcome relief as fuel prices drop, easing pressure on travel costs.
The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, announced adjustments to fuel and fuel prices on Sunday.
South Africa’s fuel prices are adjusted monthly, informed by international and local factors.
The international factors include South Africa’s imports of both crude oil and finished products at international prices. This also includes import costs, such as shipping.
ALSO READ: Fuel prices drop across South Africa from 7 January
2026 public holidays in South Africa
For those who are super organised and plan their activities earlier in the year, a closer look at the 2026 public holiday calendar is a good place to start before submitting those leave applications.
While some dates offer ideal long weekends, workers will sadly lose two days of the 12 public holidays.
If a public holiday falls on a Saturday and workers who do not normally work on Saturdays have no day off, they effectively lose a day.
On the 2026 official public holidays register, two public holidays fall on a Saturday: Human Rights Day on 21 March and the Day of Goodwill on 26 December.
ALSO READ: 2026 public holidays in South Africa: Here’s the good and the bad
Sassa grant payments
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will disburse the new year’s first social grants of 2026 to beneficiaries this week.
The agency administers more than 19 million grant payments, including the Older Persons’ Pension Grant, Disability Grant, War Veterans Grant, Care Dependency Grant, Foster Child Grant, Child Support Grant, Child Support Grant Top-Up, and Grant-in-Aid.
January 2026 grant payments
Sassa grant payment dates:
- Older Persons Grant – Tuesday, 6 January 2025
- Disability Grant – Wednesday, 7 January 2025
- Children’s Grants – Thursday, 8 January 2025
Sassa grant amounts:
- Old Age Grant (60–74 years) and Disability Grant – R2 315
- Old Age Grant (75+ years) – R2 335
- War Veterans Grant – R2 315
- Care Dependency Grant – R2 315
- Child Support Grant – R560
- Foster Care Grant – R1 250
- SRD Grant – R370
ALSO READ: First Sassa grants of 2026: Here is what you need to know
Brace yourself for 54-hour water outage in Johannesburg
Johannesburg residents will start the second week of the new year with a 54-hour maintenance, resulting in a limited or no water supply for three to five days.
The third leg of Rand Water’s planned maintenance on their systems is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, 6 January 2026, at 4am until Thursday, 8 January 2026, at 8am.
“This 54-hour maintenance will be undertaken to replace a certain isolation meter in the Rand bulk supply pipes. During this time, affected Johannesburg Water systems will decline until empty, which will result in poor pressure to no water,” Johannesburg Water said.
“Direct feeds will be affected by no water for the duration.”
Impacted areas
- Meadowlands Reservoir and Direct Feeds: Meadowlands (all zones & extensions), Tshepo Themba, Dube, Central Western Jabavu & Ext.1, Mofolo Central & North, Orlando West, Zondi, and Mmesi Park
- Doornkop Reservoir and Direct Feeds: Dobsonville Gardens, Dobsonville (all extensions), Lufhereng (all extensions), Protea City, Protea Glen (all extensions), Thulani (all extensions), Doornkop (all extensions), Green Village, Slovoville (all extensions), Tshepisong (all extensions), and Leratong Village.
- Bramfischerville Reservoir 1&2 and Direct Feeds: Braamfischerville (all extensions), Mmesi Park, Durban Deep, Sol Plaatjies, and Goudrand.
- Roodepoort Deep: Hamberg, Rand Leases (all extensions), Discovery Ext.9, Georginia, Roodepoort, and Creswell Park.
- Fleurhof Reservoir: Lea Glen, Fleurhof (all extensions).
ALSO READ: Brace yourself for 54-hour water outage in Johannesburg: These areas will be affected
