South Africa in running to stage Africa’s first Olympics as 2036 race hots up

South Africa is in the hunt to stage Africa’s first Olympics after it was named as one of seven countries that will formally present its case to host the 2036 Games in November.

However its bid, which would likely be spread across Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, is seen as a distinct outsider, with Qatar widely regarded as the frontrunners ahead of India and Hungary.

Turkey, Germany and the Republic of Korea make up the remaining countries that have been asked to present to the International Olympic Committee’s future bid committee next month, marking the first stage of a process that will end with a vote in 2029.

Qatar’s position at the top of the pecking order is partly down to the perceived strength of the bid and the fact that Asia will have not hosted a Games since Tokyo 2020. However a Doha Olympics would have to be moved from the Games’ traditional July-August slot due to the heat.

India is seen as the closest challenger, although its bid to host in Ahmedabad is seen to have slipped back during the past 18 months.

As the Guardian reported last year, the Indian bid was given a wake-up call when it visited Lausanne in the summer of 2025, with concerns raised about mismanagement and governance issues at the Indian Olympic Association, the lack of detail in the bid, and the country’s dismal performance in the Paris Games.

If there is to be another strong challenger to Qatar, it could come from Hungary. Its bid, which is said to include not only Budapest but the Austrian capital Vienna and the Slovakian capital Bratislava, is very well regarded. However it is unclear whether the new government in Hungary cares as much about hosting the Olympics as the previous prime minister, Viktor Orban.

At this stage most of the other bids are being seen as placeholders for the 2040 Olympics. That includes Germany, given the potentially tricky optics surrounding a centenary Games.

In a handbook published on Tuesday, the IOC said the bids would be based on a number of technical factors – including the venues and athlete experience, political and public support, and the ability to deliver a great Games and a long-term legacy – as well as their vision for the Olympics.

“I was fortunate to compete at five Olympic Games, across four continents. Each had their own character,” said the IOC president Kirsty Coventry. “Each host brought something unique through its people, its culture and the way it chose to stage the Games. But wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do.

“As an athlete, you spend years working to make your Olympic dream come true. The experience you have when you finally reach the Olympic Games stays with you for the rest of your life. That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point.”

Other countries interested in bidding for 2036 have until the end of October to confirm their interest before nominations close. The IOC said that it would conduct feasibility assessments by March 2027 and in December 2028 its executive board would open a “targeted dialogue with a select number of preferred hosts”. In the summer of 2029 a vote will then be taken to select who will stage the 2036 Games.