Public Holiday Pay Calculator South Africa
Updated for the 2026/27 tax year · SARS & BCEA aligned · Free, no sign-up
Estimate total gross holiday pay under BCEA section 18, not an additional payment on top of that total.
Related: payroll software South Africa · SARS-compliant payroll · cloud payroll software South Africa · payroll guides
Public Holiday Pay Calculator
Run this on real payroll — start free
Payslips, PAYE, UIF, EMP201 and IRP5 done for you.
Run this on real payroll
Payroll Africa turns this calculation into an automated monthly run — SARS-aligned PAYE, UIF and SDL, payslips, EMP201 and IRP5 filings, from R90/month.
Email me this public holiday pay calculator result
We will send a written breakdown of your calculation, plus a short note on what the same figures look like when Payroll Africa runs them every month. No spam, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
BCEA public-holiday pay rules
Section 18 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act requires agreement to work on a public holiday. If it is an ordinary working day and the employee works, pay is at least the greater of twice the ordinary daily wage or the ordinary daily wage plus earnings for time worked.
When the holiday is not an ordinary working day
If the employee works, the minimum is the ordinary daily wage plus earnings for time worked. If no work is performed, section 18 does not create the same paid-day entitlement as an ordinary working-day holiday.
Agreements and time off
Do not simply replace statutory cash pay with informal time off. A public holiday may be exchanged for another day by agreement under the Public Holidays Act; verify any collective agreement or lawful variation before changing these minima. This calculator does not value a time-off arrangement.
Amounts are gross and exclude payroll deductions. Special rules, exemptions and shifts spanning a holiday may require separate assessment.
Quick reference
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| R40/hour, normal 8 hours, ordinary day, works 8 hours | R 640,00 |
| R40/hour, normal 8 hours, ordinary day, works 2 hours | R 640,00 |
| R40/hour, normal 8 hours, non-ordinary day, works 2 hours | R 400,00 |
Move from estimates to payroll
These are planning estimates, not tax advice or a benefit award. Check the rules applicable to your circumstances. Start with Payroll Africa, use the PAYE calculator, or explore related payroll tools.
Related payroll guides
Frequently asked questions
Is ordinary daily pay plus double the hours always correct?
No. Section 18 distinguishes ordinary and non-ordinary working days. On an ordinary working day worked, use the greater of double the daily wage or daily wage plus time-worked earnings.
More free payroll calculators
Do this every month, automatically
Payroll Africa turns the public holiday pay calculator into a real payroll run — payslips, EMP201, IRP5 and bank files included, from R90/month.
- No card required
- 30-day free trial
- Free migration from Sage, SimplePay, PaySpace or Excel
- Cancel anytime
Run Payroll Africa alongside your current system until you're happy to switch.