According to the Planetarium, the Astronomical New Moon (conjunction – birth) will occur on March 19 (Thursday) at 01:23 UTC, which is 3:23am in South Africa.
On Thursday evening, March 19, at sunset, the moon will be approximately 14 hours and 56 minutes old in Johannesburg. This means that it will be highly unlikely for the moon to be seen with the naked eye on Thursday evening, as the moon generally needs to be at least 18 to 24 hours old to be easily visible, depending on weather and other atmospheric conditions.
Therefore, the chances are that this year South Africans will observe 30 days of Ramadaan, with Eid most likely to be celebrated on Saturday, March 21.
However, as a precaution, Muslims are encouraged to look for the new moon on Thursday evening, even though the chances of sighting it are slim. It is also advisable for Muslims to stay in contact with their local Masjids for official confirmation regarding the moon sighting.
Islamic months consist of either 29 or 30 days.