South Africa announces plan to bid for Olympic Games

South Africa intends to submit a bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in either 2036 or 2040, as announced by the government on Thursday, with the goal of bringing one of the largest sporting events in the world to Africa for the first time.

The nation was the first in Africa to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

"South Africa expresses its intention to bid for the 2036 and 2040 Olympic Games," stated Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the minister in the presidency, during a press briefing.

She mentioned that Pretoria has engaged in "ongoing discussions with the International Olympic Committee," which has been led by Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry since June.

This engagement is described as a "preliminary and exploratory interaction that is essential to further South Africa's intention to secure the hosting rights for the Olympic and Paralympic Games," according to Ntshavheni, who did not disclose the potential host city.

Cape Town previously attempted to host the 2004 Games, which were ultimately awarded to Athens following a vote in 1997.

Ntshavheni indicated that South Africa would not need substantial investment to enhance its existing infrastructure.

"Even if we were to be offered the Games tomorrow, the cabinet is confident that we would be able to host them with our current facilities," she remarked.

During a visit to South Africa in October 2024, former IOC president Thomas Bach noted that the country possesses "the stability, the infrastructure, and the vision to host an Olympics."

Next year, Dakar in Senegal will become the first city in Africa to host the Youth Olympics, scheduled from October 31 to November 14, 2026.

The upcoming Summer Olympics are set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028, while the 2032 Games have been awarded to Brisbane, Australia.

In October, voters in Munich approved a proposal to bid for the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040, or 2044. The last time the German city hosted the Games was in 1972.

South Africa has been actively supporting international sporting events and has submitted a bid to host a Formula One Grand Prix at its historic Kyalami track near Johannesburg starting in 2027.Africa’s most industrialised economy is also the main organiser of the 2027 men’s Cricket World Cup.