South Africa has formally declared its intention to enter the race for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This will position the country as a potential first-time host of the world’s largest sporting event on African soil.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni confirmed the move on Thursday, 13 November, underscoring that discussions with Olympic officials are already underway.
South Africa sets sights on Olympics
According to Ntshavheni, Pretoria is in “continuous dialogue with the International Olympic Committee,” which has been led since June by Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe.
“South Africa initiates its intention to bid for the 2036 and 2040 Olympic Games,” Ntshavheni said during a media briefing.
She characterised the current phase as “preliminary and exploratory engagement that is critical to advance South Africa’s intention to bid for the hosting rights of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
No specific host city has been named, though Cape Town has been a past contender, having competed for the 2004 Games before losing out to Athens in a 1997 vote.
Infrastructure already in place
Ntshavheni stressed that South Africa would not need major capital projects to stage the Games.
“Even if we are offered the games tomorrow, cabinet is confident that we should be able to host them with our facilities,” she said.
Although the continent has never hosted a Summer Olympics, that will begin to shift with Senegal’s Dakar hosting the Youth Olympic Games from 31 October to 14 November 2026, marking a symbolic milestone for African sport.
Globally, the Olympic calendar is already partly set: Los Angeles will host the 2028 Games, followed by Brisbane in 2032. Germany is also keeping its options open; Munich voters recently approved a bid exploration for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 editions.
If South Africa moves forward, its Olympic bid would mark one of the country’s most significant international engagements since the 2010 World Cup, and could set the stage for a landmark first Olympics on the African continent.
