Last checked 19 Sept 2026
Annual leave in South Africa
The law gives a typical private-sector employee 21 consecutive days of paid annual leave after 12 months of service in South Africa.
This is a short reading of the official rule for a typical private-sector employee. It is not legal advice. Contracts and collective agreements can give more. Open the source before you rely on a number.
The statutory floor
21 consecutive days, which is 15 working days on a five-day week.
What a small company must keep
A ledger of days earned, taken and still available, with the dates a manager approved. Inspectors ask for the file, not a spreadsheet in someone’s head.
What Boxento already does
You set the annual days the law or the contract gives. Boxento accrues them monthly, takes approvals and counts business days around public and company holidays.
Boxento does not calculate statutory payroll, file with the ministry or replace a local accountant.