The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) on Thursday unveiled the coastal city of Durban as its preferred host to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time
SASCOC acting president Lwandile Simelane told reporters that South Africa will bid for either the 2036 or 2040 Games.
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She said Durban would be the main candidate city for South Africa’s bid, but it would likely be a “multi-city bid” that would propose some events are held in other cities.
South Africa’s economic hub of Johannesburg and Cape Town were also considered as the candidate city.
Durban was touted as a possible Olympic host city more than a decade ago following South Africa’s staging of the 2010 soccer World Cup, the first in Africa. But an official bid didn’t materialize then, largely due to concerns over costs.
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The International Olympic Committee will choose the host city for 2036 in mid-2029.
SASCOC will deliver presentations to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission in November, with feasibility reviews concluding in March 2027 and a final host selection in 2029