Leave Calculator South Africa
Updated for the 2025/26 tax year · SARS & BCEA aligned · Free, no sign-up
Free BCEA leave calculator for South Africa. Work out annual leave accrual, plus the statutory sick leave and family responsibility leave every employee is entitled to.
Related: payroll software South Africa · SARS-compliant payroll · cloud payroll software South Africa · payroll guides
Leave calculator
- Sick leave: 30 working days per 36-month cycle (first 6 months = 1 day per 26 worked).
- Family responsibility: 3 days per year (12+ months service, 4+ days/week).
- Maternity: 4 consecutive months unpaid; UIF benefit available.
- Parental: 10 consecutive days.
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Payroll Africa turns this calculation into an automated monthly run — SARS-aligned PAYE, UIF and SDL, payslips, EMP201 and IRP5 filings, from R90/month.
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South African leave entitlements
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) sets minimum leave entitlements for every employee. An employment contract may give more, but never less. Getting leave wrong is one of the top-3 CCMA complaints — this calculator uses the exact BCEA formulas.
Annual leave (section 20)
Employees are entitled to 21 consecutive days of paid annual leave per 12-month cycle. Because "consecutive days" includes weekends, this works out to:
- 5-day week: 15 working days per year (1.25 days/month accrual).
- 6-day week: 18 working days per year (1.5 days/month accrual).
- Alternative: 1 day of leave for every 17 days worked.
Leave must be taken within 6 months after the end of the 12-month cycle, and cannot be less than the days accrued.
Sick leave (section 22)
Over each 36-month cycle, an employee gets sick leave equal to the number of days they'd normally work in 6 weeks — 30 days for a 5-day week. For the first 6 months of employment, sick leave accrues at 1 day per 26 days worked.
Family responsibility leave (section 27)
After 4 months' service, employees who work at least 4 days a week get 3 paid days per annual cycle for: birth of a child, illness of a child, or death of an immediate family member.
Maternity and parental leave
- Maternity: 4 consecutive months of unpaid leave (UIF pays a maternity benefit).
- Parental: 10 consecutive days for the other parent.
- Adoption: 10 weeks for a child under 2 (one parent); 10 days for the other.
- Commissioning parent (surrogacy): 10 weeks for one; 10 days for the other.
Leave pay on termination
When an employee resigns, is dismissed or retrenched, the employer must pay out any accrued but unused annual leave from the current cycle plus any leave from the previous cycle not yet taken.
Related payroll guides
Frequently asked questions
How many leave days do I earn per month?
1.25 working days per month on a 5-day week, or 1.5 days on a 6-day week — that's 15 or 18 working days per year.
Can my employer force me to take leave?
Yes — leave dates are set by mutual agreement, but the employer may direct when leave is taken if you don't agree.
Can leave be cashed in?
Not while employed (except by written agreement). On termination, accrued leave must be paid out.
Does sick leave carry over?
No — the 30-day cycle resets every 36 months. Unused days are lost.
Do I need a doctor's note?
Yes if you are absent for more than 2 consecutive days, or on more than 2 occasions in an 8-week period. The employer may withhold sick pay without one.
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