President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially declared Wednesday, November 4, 2026, a public holiday to coincide with South Africa’s local government elections.

The declaration was made under Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, which allows the president to designate any day as a public holiday nationally or in a specific area by publishing a notice in the Government Gazette.

Formal step follows earlier election proclamation

Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa had already proclaimed November 4 as the official election date in August. Ramaphosa’s gazetting of the public holiday completes the legal process linking the election date to a nationwide day off.

Ramaphosa first announced that the elections would fall on November 4 in April, the Mail & Guardian reported, following discussions at the Extended Presidential Co-ordinating Council. He explained that as 2026 is the year local government elections are held, they should take place on a Wednesday, describing it as the middle of the week.

A highly contested election on the horizon

The declaration comes amid growing interest in the upcoming vote. According to IOL, 142 072 candidates have been nominated to contest 10 526 councillor seats in the elections, marking a 43% increase compared with the roughly 99 000 nominations recorded ahead of the 2021 municipal elections.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya confirmed the nomination figures at a media briefing.

Special voting will take place on November 2 and 3, ahead of the main election on November 4.

Public holiday intended to boost turnout

Declaring election day a public holiday is a long-standing practice in South Africa, intended to remove work-related barriers to voting and encourage broader participation. The move also partly helps limit disruption to matric examinations taking place around the same period, Cape Town ETC reported.