South Africa announced on Thursday that it intends to bid to host the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stated that the country, which was the first on the continent to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, will enter into continuous dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), now chaired by Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry. The minister described this as a 'preliminary and exploratory commitment.' The South African government is confident in the country's readiness to host the Olympics, citing existing infrastructure and stating that the necessary investments for improvement are not substantial. Previously, in October 2024, IOC President Thomas Bach noted that South Africa possesses 'the stability, infrastructure, and vision necessary to host the Olympic Games.' It is worth noting that Dakar, the capital of Senegal, will become the first African city to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2026. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, followed by Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. Amidst a significant sports boom, South Africa, the continent's largest economy, has also applied to host a Formula One Grand Prix at the historic Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg starting in 2027 and is the main host nation for the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup.
