South Africa backs bid to host 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games

South Africa has reaffirmed its ambition to become the first African country to host the Olympic Games, with the government pursuing a bid for either the 2036 or 2040 event.

Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe said the country supported the effort and believed it could make Olympic history.

“In the history of the Olympics, there’s no African country that has hosted the Olympics,” said Mabe.

“We are definitely going to be it as South Africa. If it goes to Durban or any other city in South Africa, as the department, we definitely support that initiative.”

The bid would give South African athletes the chance to compete at the Olympics on home soil. That would include Amaglug-glug, the national under-23 football team.

South Africa’s interest in hosting the Games gathered pace in November 2024, when South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) president Barry Hendricks, chief executive Nozipho Jafta and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie met representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to discuss a possible bid.

At the time, the campaign was expected to be launched after February 2025. However, plans were put on hold in August 2025 as South Africa chose to prioritise hosting smaller international sporting events.

The possibility of bidding for the 2040 Games was also being considered during that period.

A renewed commitment followed in November 2025, when Cabinet approved the pursuit of a bid to host either the 2036 or 2040 Olympics.

By March 2026, preparations were under way for a proposed bid involving three of the country’s major cities: Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

The process has involved the national government and sporting authorities, although SASCOC is currently suspended. Its president Hendricks and CEO Jafta were among those involved in the initial discussions with the IOC in 2024.

Mabe’s comments underline the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s support for the cities being considered and for the wider Olympic ambition, regardless of whether Durban or another South African location is ultimately selected.

A successful bid would make South Africa the first country on the African continent to stage the Olympics. The country’s proposal remains focused on the 2036 and 2040 editions, following the decision to delay the original 2036 campaign while smaller international events were prioritised.