Saturday Following Good Friday

The Public Holidays Act uses the exact legal name ‘Saturday following Good Friday’ for this movable holiday. It falls one day before Easter Sunday and is sometimes informally called Easter Saturday, but the statutory wording is preferable because it identifies the legal date without confusing it with different liturgical uses of that name. Botswana is among the jurisdictions that make this Saturday a public holiday in addition to Good Friday and Easter Monday.

For Christian communities the day lies between commemoration of the crucifixion and celebration of the resurrection. Churches may rehearse music, prepare buildings or hold evening vigils, while families shop, cook and travel for Easter Sunday. It is not correct to assign one set of religious customs to every denomination or household. Its broader civic function is to preserve an uninterrupted Easter weekend for public offices and many businesses.

In 2026 the holiday falls on Saturday, April 4. A Saturday does not automatically create a Monday substitute under the Public Holidays Act; its general substitution applies when a listed holiday falls on Sunday, with a special additional rule only for Botswana Day on Saturday. The day is not listed among the Employment Act’s general paid public holidays, so private-sector pay depends on applicable employment terms or sectoral rules. It is also outside the Public Holidays Act’s three-holiday mining exception, despite being part of the national public calendar elsewhere.