South Africa is initiating its intention to bid for the 2036 and 2040 Olympics, says Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
South Africa was the continent's first host of a World Cup in 2010. The country has also previously tried to host the Olympics, in Cape Town in 2004, but the games were instead awarded to Athens, Greece.
Even if we were to have the games tomorrow, the government is convinced that we could host them with the facilities we already have, says Ntshavheni, announcing that the capital, Pretoria, has a "continuous dialogue" with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
During a visit to South Africa in October 2024, then-IOC President Thomas Bach said that the country had “the stability, infrastructure and vision to host an Olympic Games.”
In October, Munich residents approved a plan for the German city to bid to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Olympics. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles and the 2030 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia.
