South Africa Targets Historic Olympic Bid with Durban as Lead City

South Africa has selected Durban as its preferred host city for the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympics, a move that would bring the Games to the African continent for the first time.

The announcement was made by Lwandile Simelane, acting president of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee, on Thursday. While Durban will serve as the main candidate, officials indicated the bid could be a multi‑city proposal, with events potentially held in other urban centres.

Johannesburg and Cape Town were also considered as potential venues.

Durban, a coastal city of roughly four million residents, has long been discussed as a possible Olympic host. Its candidacy gained momentum after South Africa successfully staged the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but earlier efforts were hampered by cost concerns. The city also lost the 2022 Commonwealth Games after failing to meet financial guarantees.

Officials have not yet released cost estimates for the Olympic bid, but they said the proposal would centre on the 56,000‑seat Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup.

South Africa is one of seven nations competing for the 2036 Games; the others are India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey.

The International Olympic Committee has set an October 31 deadline for national Olympic committees to formally express interest. Virtual presentations are planned for next month, with a shortlist expected to be approved in March.

If successful, South Africa would become the first African country to host the Summer Olympics since the modern Games were revived in 1896. The continent previously saw a failed bid for the 2004 Games in Cape Town.

The Youth Olympics are scheduled to open this weekend in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first Olympic‑related event held in Africa.

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