Zimbabwe bank holidays 2026 and 2027
Zimbabwe has 21 bank or public holidays listed here between November 2026 and December 2027. Over the year-end peak (1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027) the dates to plan around are: Tue 22 Dec 2026 (National Unity Day), Fri 25 Dec 2026 (Christmas Day), Sat 26 Dec 2026 (Boxing Day), Fri 1 Jan 2027 (New Year's Day).
Currency: ZWG · Time zone: Africa/Harare · Subscribe to this calendar (.ics)
Why this matters for prefunding
When Zimbabwe banks or payment rails close, a top-up sent to a local payout partner may not land until the next business day. Remittance demand often rises around the same holidays. Fund the corridor before the closure, sized for the closed days plus your normal top-up lead time. Check your corridor runway.
Holiday calendar
| Date | Holiday | Type | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 22 Dec 2026 | National Unity Day | public holiday | Confirmed | In General Notice 1361 of 2025 listing public holidays in 2026. Tuesday. |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | public holiday | Confirmed | In General Notice 1361 of 2025 listing public holidays in 2026. Friday. |
| Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day | public holiday | Confirmed | In General Notice 1361 of 2025 listing public holidays in 2026. No substitute day: only Sunday holidays move to Monday. Falls on a Saturday, a weekend day. |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Friday. |
| Sun 21 Feb 2027 | National Youth Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Falls on a Sunday, a weekend day. |
| Mon 22 Feb 2027 | National Youth Day (Monday holiday) | observed/substitute day | Expected | Under section 2(1) of the Act, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday the Monday following is a public holiday. Monday. |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Friday. |
| Sat 27 Mar 2027 | Easter Saturday | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Falls on a Saturday, a weekend day. |
| Sun 28 Mar 2027 | Easter Sunday | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Easter Monday is already a holiday. Falls on a Sunday, a weekend day. |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Monday. |
| Sun 18 Apr 2027 | Independence Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Falls on a Sunday, a weekend day. |
| Mon 19 Apr 2027 | Independence Day (Monday holiday) | observed/substitute day | Expected | Under section 2(1) of the Act, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday the Monday following is a public holiday. Monday. |
| Sat 1 May 2027 | Workers' Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. No substitute day for a Saturday holiday. Falls on a Saturday, a weekend day. |
| Tue 25 May 2027 | Africa Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Tuesday. |
| Mon 9 Aug 2027 | Heroes' Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Second Monday in August. Monday. |
| Tue 10 Aug 2027 | Defence Forces National Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. The day after Heroes' Day. Tuesday. |
| Wed 15 Sep 2027 | Munhumutapa Day | public holiday | Confirmed | Declared a public holiday every year from 2026 by Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026. Wednesday. |
| Wed 22 Dec 2027 | National Unity Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Wednesday. |
| Sat 25 Dec 2027 | Christmas Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Falls on a Saturday, a weekend day. |
| Sun 26 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day | public holiday | Expected | Public holiday under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21]. The 2027 general notice listing the days has not been issued yet. Falls on a Sunday, a weekend day. |
| Mon 27 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day (Monday holiday) | observed/substitute day | Expected | Under section 2(1) of the Act, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday the Monday following is a public holiday. Monday. |
Expected: the date depends on an annual declaration or moon sighting.
Payment rails and operating hours
| Rail | Operator | Hours | Runs on holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTGS | Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe | Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. | no source |
| ZIPIT (Zimswitch Instant Payment Interchange Technology) | Zimswitch, governed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe | Not published | yes source |
What to watch
Highest-risk windows: the year ends, with National Unity Day on Tuesday 22 December and Christmas on Friday 25 December 2026, and in 2027 National Unity Day on Wednesday 22 December, Christmas on Saturday 25 December and the Boxing Day Monday holiday on 27 December. Easter 2027 closes RTGS from Friday 26 to Monday 29 March. A holiday that falls on a Sunday moves to Monday, but a Saturday holiday is not replaced (the Home Affairs ministry confirmed this in 2021). The President can declare extra public holidays by statutory instrument, as with Munhumutapa Day (15 September) in 2026, announced less than a week before. The weekend is Saturday and Sunday. The RBZ RTGS runs Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00 and is closed on weekends and public holidays; ZIPIT handles real-time transfers between banks and mobile wallets in the Zimswitch network.
Other calendars
Sources
- Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21] · ZimLII
- General Notice 1361 of 2025: Public Holidays in 2026 · Government of Zimbabwe (via Veritas)
- SI 148 of 2026: Declaration of Public Holiday (Munhumutapa Day) · Government of Zimbabwe (via Veritas)
- President declares September 15 a public holiday · The Herald
- Government: Monday is not a public holiday · Africa-Press
- RTGS operating hours · Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
- The State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems in Africa: ZIPIT case study · AfricaNenda
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