Northern Cape School Terms 2026

School term dates, holidays and long weekends for Northern Cape (NC)

200 school days across 4 terms in 2026

National unified calendar — every public school in Northern Cape follows these dates.

Plan your break

National Unified Calendar

Since 2024, all 9 South African provinces follow the same school term dates. This includes Northern Cape. The unified calendar was implemented by the Department of Basic Education to simplify planning for families who move between provinces.

View Full 2026 Calendar

Northern Cape School Terms 2026

Term 1

53 days

14 January 2026 - 27 March 2026

Term 2

54 days

8 April 2026 - 26 June 2026

Term 3

46 days

21 July 2026 - 23 September 2026

Term 4

47 days

6 October 2026 - 11 December 2026

2026 School Year at a Glance

200 school days

Terms, public holidays, and today's position across the Northern Cape school year.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
School Break
Public Holiday

Term length comparison

Term 1
53
days
Term 2
54
days
Term 3
46
days
Term 4
47
days

Northern Cape School Holidays 2026 — Plan Your Break

Four breaks between terms. Use the Leave Optimiser to stretch each break with strategic leave days around public holidays.

autumn break

11 days

28 Mar – 07 Apr

After Term 1, before Term 2

Optimise this break

winter break

24 days

27 Jun – 20 Jul

After Term 2, before Term 3

Optimise this break

spring break

12 days

24 Sept – 05 Oct

After Term 3, before Term 4

Optimise this break

About Northern Cape Schools

Northern Cape is one of South Africa's 9 provinces, with its administrative capital in Kimberley. All public schools in the province follow the national school calendar set by the Department of Basic Education.

Note: Independent (private) schools may have slightly different term dates. Always confirm with your specific school.

Major Cities in Northern Cape

All public schools in the following cities follow the Northern Cape school calendar above:

KimberleyUpingtonSpringbokDe AarKurumanKathuCalvinia

Northern Cape Department of Education

NCDoE

5 Districts

Address

Physical Address

Hantam Building, Compound Street, Kimberley, 8300

Postal Address

Private Bag X5029, Kimberley, 8300

Education Districts

Frances BaardJohn Taolo GaetseweNamakwaPixley Ka SemeZF Mgcawu

Northern Cape School Terms 2027

Gazetted — plan next year's leave early

197 school days

No upcoming term data available

Term 1 · 2027

48 days

13 January 2027 – 19 March 2027

Term 2 · 2027

56 days

6 April 2027 – 25 June 2027

Term 3 · 2027

46 days

20 July 2027 – 22 September 2027

Term 4 · 2027

47 days

5 October 2027 – 10 December 2027

Full 2027 calendar

Source: Government Gazette No. 52178, Notice 5902 (25 February 2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

School Terms in Other Provinces

Data sourced from the Department of Basic Education (DBE)

Government Gazette No. 52177, Notice 5901 (25 February 2025)