Public Holidays in 2026
Zimbabwe's 14 public holidays for 2026 are gazetted: five fall on a Saturday and Heroes Day (Mon 10 Aug) runs into Defence Forces Day (Tue 11 Aug) — employers should plan rosters and holiday pay now.
The Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has declared the public holidays for 2026 under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act.
The fourteen days are: New Year's Day (Thursday 1 January), National Youth Day (Saturday 21 February), Good Friday (Friday 3 April), Easter Saturday (4 April), Easter Sunday (5 April), Easter Monday (6 April), Independence Day (Saturday 18 April), Workers Day (Friday 1 May), Africa Day (Monday 25 May), Heroes Day (Monday 10 August), Defence Forces National Day (Tuesday 11 August), National Unity Day (Tuesday 22 December), Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December).
The Easter run gives four consecutive days from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April, and Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day again fall together as a two-day break in August. Five of the fourteen fall on a Saturday, which matters for anyone whose contracts or NEC agreement treat a Saturday holiday differently.
The notice is explicit that this list does not include any further days the President may declare as public holidays under section 2(2) of the Act, so the 2026 calendar can still grow.
What changed
- Fourteen public holidays are declared for 2026
- Easter falls 3-6 April 2026, giving four consecutive holidays
- Heroes Day (10 August) and Defence Forces National Day (11 August) fall on consecutive days
- Five holidays fall on a Saturday: National Youth Day, Easter Saturday, Independence Day, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday falls on the Sunday
- The list excludes any additional holidays the President may still declare under section 2(2)
Who this affects
- employers setting 2026 rosters and holiday pay
- payroll and HR departments
- retailers and businesses subject to the prohibition of business rules
- schools and colleges planning terms
- anyone booking leave or travel in 2026
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.