South Africa has officially announced plans to bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games, signalling a bold step to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting events to Africa for the first time.
The move was confirmed by Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, during a press briefing on Thursday. The country, which made history as the first in Africa to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, now aims to extend that legacy to the Olympic stage.
“South Africa initiates its intention to bid for the 2036 and 2040 Olympic Games,” Ntshavheni said, adding that the government had already begun “continuous dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC)”, now led by Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry.
Describing the move as a “preliminary and exploratory engagement,” the minister said the process was critical to advancing South Africa’s ambition to host both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. She, however, did not disclose which city would serve as the potential host.
Cape Town had previously submitted a bid to host the 2004 Games, which were ultimately awarded to Athens in a 1997 vote.
Ntshavheni noted that South Africa would not require major new investments to stage the event, citing the country’s existing world-class infrastructure. “Even if we are offered the Games tomorrow, the cabinet is confident that we should be able to host them with our facilities,” she stated.
During a visit to South Africa in October 2024, former IOC President Thomas Bach praised the nation’s readiness, saying it had “the stability, the infrastructure, and the vision to stage an Olympics.”
Meanwhile, Senegal’s capital, Dakar, is set to make history in 2026 as the first African city to host the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled from October 31 to November 14.
The next Summer Olympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028, followed by Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. In Europe, Munich voters recently approved a plan to pursue a bid for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Games—the city last hosted in 1972.
South Africa’s latest move continues its push to reclaim global sporting prominence. The country has already bid to host a Formula One Grand Prix at the historic Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg from 2027 and is leading preparations as the main organiser of the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
AFP
