Lifestyle | 18 Mar 2021 | By Sun International

Get 6 weeks of leave from work

Millicent Mashile and Innocent Sadiki at The Palace | Photo by Supplied

Turn 2021 into a holiday-filled pleasure dome by making a few tweaks to your work leave applications and soaking up the rays at Sun City Resort

Cambodians are some of the happiest people on earth. Much of their cheerfulness can be put down to the fact that they enjoy the most public holidays – an astonishing 28 – of any country. South Africans may not enjoy a "February" of public holidays, but we still weigh in with a full dozen of them.

The good news is that if you're crafty with how you put in for your normal work leave, you can stretch those 12 days to almost 6 weeks of treasured time off.

How can you manage that? Assuming you have working hours and leave, if you take your 15 allocated days off around public holidays, you'll enjoy a total of 40 days – almost 6 weeks – of leave in stretches. This includes nearly a full week over Easter and 5 days each in August and September when you're beginning to feel like winding down the year. And it could have been more if Workers' Day and Christmas Day didn't happen to fall on Saturdays in 2021.

Take a look at this table drawn up by our friends at The South African and put in for leave on the recommended days.

Holiday and date	Work days to take off	Time total out the office
Human Rights Day: Sunday, 21 March (public holiday observed on Monday, 22 March)	Friday, 19 March Tuesday, 23 March	5
Easter: Friday, 2 April – Sunday, 5 April	Thursday, 1 April Monday, 6 April	6
Freedom Day: Tuesday, 27 April	Monday, 26 April	4
Workers' Day: Saturday, 1 May	N/A	0
Youth Day: Wednesday, 16 June	Thursday, 17 June Friday, 18 June	5
National Women's Day: Monday, 9 August	Friday, 6 August Tuesday, 10 August	5
Heritage Day: Friday, 24 September	Thursday, 23 September Monday, 27 September	5
Day of Reconciliation: Thursday, 16 December	Wednesday, 15 December Friday, 17 December	5
Christmas Day and the Day of Goodwill Saturday, 25 December and Sunday, 26 December (Public holiday observed on Monday, 27 December)	Thursday, 23 December Friday, 24 December	5
TOTAL DAYS OFF	15	40

Find your fun at Sun City Resort

So you've got the public holiday plan down pat. But what's the point of maximising your government-approved time off without making appropriate plans to make full use of it? And no, laying back on the couch, watching that soapie omnibus isn't an "appropriate" option.

Stuck for inspiration? That's where the Sun City Resort comes in.

Since opening doors in 1979, Sol Kerzner's magnum opus in the North West has built a solid reputation as South Africa's most-loved resort. There is simply nothing to compare to its plethora of accommodation options, from the 5-star luxury of The Palace to the iconic Cascades, family-friendly Cabanas, historic Soho, and pioneering Sun Vacation Club.

And when you learn of all the activities and entertainment options available to you, you'll understand that "City" isn't a misnomer – there are literally hundreds of things to keep you occupied.

Wildlife enthusiasts will roar with pleasure at the neighbouring Big 5 Pilanesberg National Park. There are all manner of thrills to be had at the renowned Valley of Waves and Waterworld. Get lost in the Maze of the Lost City, idolise your sporting heroes at the SA Hall of Fame, take in the best in live entertainment at the Sun Arena (when COVID-19 regulations allow for it), or soothe away the stress of the daily grind at one of two luxury spas.

Golfers have the choice of 2 courses: the Gary Player Country Club, home to the South African Open and Nedbank Golf Challenge, and the slightly less intimidating Lost City Country Club, with its signature, crocodile-infested 13th hole.

No trip to Sun City is complete without a visit to the tables and slots at the casino, where you'll enthralled by the glitz and glamour of the heartland of South African gaming. And don't worry – the kids will be safe and entertained at the Kamp Kwena activity centre.

Don't let those public holiday power-ups waste away. Become a part of the Sun City story by booking today and make the most of your valuable time off.

Sun City Resort Specials