Calculate a Deadline
Your calculated date will appear here. Forward counting excludes the trigger date; court-day mode starts with the next qualifying day.
High Court — governing rules
Uniform Rules of Court (GN R48/1965)
Consult the current rule for the particular step. Recess presets are not universal exclusions.
South African public holidays — 2026
Configured annual holidays, including Monday observance after Sunday holidays. Check government notices for exceptional proclaimed holidays; these are not automatically imported.
- New Year's DayThu, 01 Jan
- Human Rights DaySat, 21 Mar
- Good FridayFri, 03 Apr
- Family DayMon, 06 Apr
- Freedom DayMon, 27 Apr
- Workers' DayFri, 01 May
- Youth DayTue, 16 Jun
- National Women's DaySun, 09 Aug
- National Women's Day (observed)Mon, 10 Aug
- Heritage DayThu, 24 Sept
- Day of ReconciliationWed, 16 Dec
- Christmas DayFri, 25 Dec
- Day of GoodwillSat, 26 Dec
Counting method, example and legal basis
By Bertus Preller, Family Law and Divorce Attorney, Maurice Phillips Wisenberg
Content updated:
Bertus Preller is a family law and divorce attorney at Maurice Phillips Wisenberg with more than 35 years of legal experience. About Bertus Preller
This calculator counts dates using your selected court, day type, direction and recess preset. You must identify the applicable procedural rule, period, trigger event, service requirements, any court order and local directive. Presets do not determine the legal deadline or prove that a recess exclusion applies.
For forward counting, the trigger date is excluded. Day 1 is the next qualifying day. Court-day mode skips weekends, configured South African public holidays and the selected recess interval. Calendar-day mode adds or subtracts consecutive dates, including weekends and holidays, without applying recess or moving the result to a court day.
Worked example: five court days in October
Hypothetical trigger: Friday 2 October 2026. Settings: forward, 5 court days, High Court, dies non None. No holidays or recess intervene. This is a counting example, not a deadline for a specified legal process.
| Date (2026) | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Friday 2 October | Trigger — excluded |
| Saturday 3 October | Weekend — skipped |
| Sunday 4 October | Weekend — skipped |
| Monday 5 October | Day 1 |
| Tuesday 6 October | Day 2 |
| Wednesday 7 October | Day 3 |
| Thursday 8 October | Day 4 |
| Friday 9 October | Day 5 — result |
Result: 9 October 2026, on those assumptions.
Uniform Rule 1 defines court days. Rule-specific recess exclusions and their exceptions are explained in the FAQs below and on the Rules & Statutes source and limitations page. Check the applicable rule and any later amendments.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about computing court and calendar deadlines in South Africa.
+How do court days differ from calendar days?
Court-day mode skips Saturdays, Sundays, configured South African public holidays and the selected recess interval. Calendar-day mode counts every date, ignores the recess preset and does not roll a weekend or holiday result forward. Choose the mode required by the particular rule; neither mode establishes a legal deadline.
Sources
+Why is the trigger date excluded?
For forward counting, this calculator starts after the trigger date: day 1 is the next qualifying day. This describes its counting method, not a universal rule for every process. Identify the correct trigger event, such as service or delivery, and check the governing provision before entering its date.
+How should I choose dies non for the correct step?
Match the preset to the provision, not merely to the court or an action/application label. Uniform Rule 19(1) excludes 16 December–15 January inclusive for a notice of intention to defend; Rule 26 addresses that interval for delivery of pleadings for that rule. Recess does not close every court or suspend every duty.
+Do urgent and Rule 43 applications have the same recess exclusion?
No. Rule 6(5)(b)(iii)(aa) excludes 21 December–7 January inclusive for the relevant notice of intention to oppose and affidavits. Subparagraph (bb) expressly excludes urgent Rule 6(12) and Rule 43 applications from that exclusion. The application preset does not detect these exceptions; verify the step and any court order.
+Which public holidays should I check?
The configured list includes fixed annual holidays, Good Friday, Family Day and Monday observance when a holiday falls on Sunday. The Public Holidays Act makes the following Monday a holiday after a Sunday holiday, not automatically after a Saturday holiday. Check government notices for exceptional proclaimed holidays: these are not automatically imported by this calculator.
Sources
+Can I calculate backwards from a court date?
Yes. Backward counting excludes the entered date and moves to earlier qualifying days in court-day mode, or earlier consecutive dates in calendar-day mode. Confirm whether the rule requires clear days, a minimum notice period or a different method; a reverse count alone does not establish the latest permissible service date.
+What if a court order sets the period?
Read the order alongside the applicable procedural rule and local directive. Confirm the period, trigger event, inclusion/exclusion method, service and filing requirements, and any time of day specified. The court selection supplies reference context; it does not determine these requirements. Obtain legal advice where the documents conflict or the deadline is critical.
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