Zambia Public Holidays List 2026

What Each Zambian Public Holiday Means

New Year's Day (1 Jan, Thursday) Marks the start of the new calendar year and is observed worldwide.

Women's Day (8 Mar, Sunday) Zambia's observance of International Women's Day. Because it falls on a Sunday in 2026, the following Monday is taken as a holiday.

Women's Day, observed (9 Mar, Monday) The substitute day granted because 8 March lands on a Sunday.

Youth Day (12 Mar, Thursday) Celebrates young Zambians and remembers the part youth played in the independence struggle.

Good Friday (3 Apr, Friday) A Christian holiday marking the crucifixion of Jesus, and the start of Zambia's four-day Easter weekend.

Holy Saturday (4 Apr, Saturday) The Saturday of the Easter weekend, observed as a public holiday in Zambia.

Easter Sunday (5 Apr, Sunday) Marks the resurrection of Jesus, the third day of the Easter weekend.

Easter Monday (6 Apr, Monday) The day after Easter Sunday and the close of the long Easter weekend.

Kenneth Kaunda Day (28 Apr, Tuesday) Honours Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's first President and a leader of the independence movement.

Labour Day (1 May, Friday) Zambia's International Workers' Day, recognising the contribution of workers.

African Unity Day (25 May, Monday) Also known as Africa Freedom Day, marking the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union.

Heroes' Day (6 Jul, Monday) Remembers the Zambians who gave their lives in the fight for independence.

Unity Day (7 Jul, Tuesday) Follows Heroes' Day and promotes national unity across Zambia's many communities.

Farmers' Day (3 Aug, Monday) Celebrates the farming sector, which employs a large share of the workforce.

National Prayer Day (18 Oct, Sunday) The National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation. Falling on a Sunday, it carries a Monday in lieu.

National Prayer Day, observed (19 Oct, Monday) The substitute day granted because 18 October lands on a Sunday.

Independence Day (24 Oct, Saturday) Marks Zambia's independence from Britain on 24 October 1964. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, and there is no substitute day for a Saturday holiday.

Christmas Day (25 Dec, Friday) The Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Note: Zambia works a Monday to Friday week with a Saturday to Sunday weekend. Under the current Public Holidays Act, when a holiday falls on a Sunday the following Monday is taken off, which is why Women's Day (9 March) and National Prayer Day (19 October) each gain a Monday in lieu in 2026. There is no substitute when a holiday falls on a Saturday, so Independence Day (24 October, Saturday) has no replacement day. Two points to watch: a Public Holidays Amendment Bill before Parliament in 2026 proposes removing the Sunday-to-Monday in-lieu rule, and the President can add or shift dates by gazette at short notice, so employers should confirm against the latest official notice before finalising leave calendars.

How Zambian Holidays Impact Payroll and Leave Management?

Zambia's calendar gets very busy at a few points in the year, the whole Easter weekend is off from Good Friday to Easter Monday, Heroes' Day and Unity Day come back to back in July, and two Sundays (Women's Day and National Prayer Day) drag a Monday off with them. The base rules are not complicated: holidays are paid days off, a Sunday holiday currently moves to the Monday, and anyone who has to work a holiday is owed premium pay under the Employment Code Act. The catch in 2026 is that the in-lieu rule is itself under review and the President can move or add dates by gazette with little notice, so the calendar you planned in January can change by mid-year. Doing all of that by hand across attendance, leave and overtime is where mistakes start, which is why most teams let a system apply the in-lieu days, the Easter cluster and any fresh proclamations automatically instead of reworking spreadsheets every time something shifts.