What is Boxing Day called in South Africa?

In South Africa, Boxing Day is called the Day of Goodwill.

The holiday is observed on 26 December, immediately after Christmas Day, and is a public holiday under South Africa’s national holiday calendar. The name reflects an emphasis on generosity, goodwill, and social harmony rather than retaining the British colonial-era term “Boxing Day.”

South Africa’s official holiday framework changed during the democratic transition of the 1990s. The Public Holidays Act of 1994 established the present calendar, and the Day of Goodwill became the official name for 26 December. It is therefore not the same holiday as Family Day, which is the name used in South Africa for Easter Monday.

The date can create unusual calendar arrangements. Under South African public-holiday rules, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is also treated as a public holiday. The Day of Goodwill is distinct from the Day of Reconciliation, which is observed on 16 December, and from Good Friday, whose date changes each year according to the Easter calendar.