South Africa has the “intention” to “apply to organize the Olympic and Paralympic Games” in 2036 or 2040, indicated this Thursday (13) the Minister of the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, without specifying the name of the eventual host city.
The first country on the continent to have organized the football World Cup, in 2010, South Africa will open a “continuous dialogue” with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), now chaired by Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry.
This is a “preliminary and exploratory commitment”, explained Ntshavheni during a press conference.
Cape Town applied to host the 2004 Olympic Games, which ended up being held in Athens, following a vote in 1997.
“The government is convinced that South Africa is ready and capable of hosting the Olympic Games, given the level of infrastructure it has and the fact that the investments needed to improve it are not significant,” declared the minister.
During a visit to the country in October 2024, the previous president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, considered that South Africa had “the stability, infrastructure and vision to host the Olympic Games”.
Next year, Dakar will be the first city on the African continent to organize the Youth Olympic Games, from October 31st to November 14th.
The next Summer Olympic Games, in 2028, will be held in Los Angeles, and the next ones, in 2032, will be held in Brisbane, Australia.
In the midst of a sporting offensive, South Africa is a candidate to organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix at its historic Kyalami circuit, near Johannesburg, from 2027.
The continent’s leading economy will also be the main host country for the 2027 men’s cricket World Cup, which will also be played in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
