Good Friday

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus in Christian tradition and falls two days before Western Easter Sunday. South Africa's statute retains it as a nationwide holiday, but religious observance belongs principally to Christians. Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox and independent churches do not all use identical liturgy, fasting practice or even the same Easter calendar, and residents of other faiths or none are not participants merely because the day is public.

Christian institutions in South Africa have long and contested histories. Missions contributed to education, health care and African Christian intellectual life, and clergy and laypeople resisted apartheid; other churches supplied theological support for apartheid or reproduced racial separation. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented both complicity and costly resistance, making present worship neither a simple colonial survival nor evidence of a universally shared national faith.

The Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 lists this date among South Africa's twelve public holidays. If a listed holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday; there is no automatic Saturday substitute. A holiday may be exchanged for another day by agreement. For employees covered by section 18 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, an ordinary working day that is a public holiday is paid, holiday work must be agreed, and the Act sets minimum pay, subject to its scope and any more favourable collective or contractual term.