South Africa’s Workers’ Day was first observed as an official public holiday in 1995.
The holiday is held on May 1 and recognizes the country’s labor movement, including its long history of organizing against exploitation and racial inequality. The date also connects South Africa with international May Day observances.
Workers’ Day became part of the post-apartheid public-holiday framework following South Africa’s first democratic national election in 1994. Its first official observance under that framework occurred in 1995.
The year is sometimes confused with 1994, because the democratic election and the new constitutional era began then. The holiday’s first official observance followed in 1995, rather than occurring in the election year itself.