Public Holidays in Botswana in [2026]

Living in Botswana or planning a trip there? Here’s a full guide to the public holidays you need to know in 2026, plus the currently published dates for 2027 and 2028. Botswana’s official government holiday page already lists the 2026 calendar, including the extra substitute-style public holidays that older lists often miss.

Whether you live in Botswana or are just visiting, it helps to note these dates early. On public holidays, many offices and services close, and the calendar can be slightly different from the simple fixed-date list because Botswana also publishes extra “Public Holiday” days around certain holidays.

How many public holidays are there in Botswana?

For 2026, Botswana’s official government page lists 13 public-holiday dates: New Year’s Day, a New Year public holiday on 2 January, Good Friday, a public holiday on 4 April, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Sir Seretse Khama Day, President’s Day, a public holiday on 21 July, Botswana Day, a public holiday on 1 October, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Since Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, it is listed on the government page but not shown there with an additional Monday observance.

That makes Botswana’s holiday calendar a little more practical to check year by year than to assume from the law alone. In fact, a parliamentary document from March 2026 notes that the current Act’s wording focuses on Sundays, while Saturday-related Monday holidays have sometimes been declared separately, which is why the official yearly calendar matters so much.

The most important public holidays in Botswana

The best-known public holidays in Botswana are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Sir Seretse Khama Day, President’s Day, Botswana Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. The official 2026 government calendar also includes extra public holidays on 2 January, 21 July, and 1 October.

Public Holidays in Botswana in 2026

This table follows Botswana’s official government holiday page for 2026. The same pattern is also reflected in secondary holiday listings for the year.

What are the public holidays in Botswana?

New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day falls on 1 January 2026, and the official government calendar also lists 2 January 2026 as an additional public holiday.

Good Friday and Easter Monday

Botswana observes Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays. In 2026, they fall on 3 April and 6 April, and the official calendar also includes 4 April 2026 as a public holiday.

Labour Day

Labour Day is observed on 1 May 2026, which is a Friday.

Ascension Day

Ascension Day is a public holiday in Botswana and falls on 14 May 2026.

Sir Seretse Khama Day

Sir Seretse Khama Day is celebrated on 1 July each year. In 2026, it falls on a Wednesday.

President’s Day

In 2026, President’s Day falls on Monday, 20 July, and the official government calendar adds Tuesday, 21 July as a public holiday.

Botswana Day

Botswana Day falls on 30 September 2026, with an additional public holiday on 1 October 2026.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Christmas Day is on Friday, 25 December 2026, and Boxing Day is on Saturday, 26 December 2026. Both appear on the official government holiday list for the year.

Public Holidays in Botswana in 2027

The 2027 dates currently published online show the same core Botswana holiday structure, with President’s Day on 19 July 2027. Future-year listings can still be updated later if the government issues additional holiday notices.

Public Holidays in Botswana in 2028

For 2028, currently published calendar listings show the same structure, including a Monday day off on 3 January 2028 and a President’s Day holiday on 18 July 2028. As with 2027, future-year holiday pages can still change if Botswana issues a new formal notice.

Conclusion

Botswana’s holiday calendar is straightforward once you follow the official yearly list instead of relying only on the fixed holiday names. For 2026, the important detail is that the official government calendar includes extra public holidays on 2 January, 4 April, 21 July, and 1 October, which many older summaries leave out.

Last Updated on 04/04/2026