South Africans Muslims set for 30 days of Ramadan, Eid likely on 21 March

Depending on the sighting of the moon on Thursday, Eid-ul-Fitr is likely to be on Friday, if not on Saturday. Picture: iStock After almost 29 days of fasting and not having anything to drink from dawn until dusk, Muslims across the country will be hoping that the crescent moon for the month will be sighted, bringing an end to the Islamic month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and are not allowed to eat or drink, not even a morsel of food or a sip of water, until sunset.

Islam follows the lunar calendar, and the sighting of the moon signals the beginning or end of the Islamic month. In Islam, the new day also begins just after sunset. While Thursday is expected to be the last day of fasting, the end of Ramadan will be confirmed by the sighting of the moon.

The end of Ramadan is marked by the sighting of the crescent moon on the evening of the 29thof the Islamic month. If the crescent moon is sighted, Muslims in South Africa will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday, 20 March 2026. The sighting of the crescent moon is a contentious issue in South Africa.

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A number of organisations are guided by their own policies and principles based on Islamic law. However, the majority of Muslims in South Africa ascribe to the crescent moon sighting of one Islamic body – the United Council of Ulama in South Africa (UUCSA), or the United Council of Muslim Theologians. With the current overcast conditions in Gauteng, it is unlikely that the moon will be sighted in the province.

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