South Africa names Durban as preferred host city for 2036 or 2040 Olympics
File Image: A general view of Durban, which has been selected as South Africa’s preferred city for its bid to host the Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
File Image: A general view of Durban, which has been selected as South Africa’s preferred city for its bid to host the Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
South Africa has selected Durban as its preferred city for a potential bid to host the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, as the country looks to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Lwandile Simelane, acting president of the South African Olympic committee.
Durban, the country’s third-largest city, was chosen ahead of Johannesburg and Cape Town, which were also considered as potential hosts.
Simelane said Durban would be the main candidate, although South Africa was likely to propose a multi-city arrangement, with some competitions taking place in other locations.
The coastal city had previously been considered a possible Olympic host following South Africa’s successful staging of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, those plans did not result in a formal bid, largely because of concerns over the financial costs involved.
Officials said they were not yet in a position to estimate the expenditure required to organise the Games.
South Africa is among seven countries pursuing the 2036 Olympics, alongside India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set October 31 as the deadline for national Olympic committees to formally express their interest in hosting the 2036 Games.
The IOC is expected to select the host city for the 2036 edition in mid-2029.
( With inputs from AP).
Published on Oct 29, 2026
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