South Africa unveils Durban as bid city for 2036 or 2040 Olympics

29 Oct 2026 06:29PM

Oct 29 : The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) unveiled the coastal city of Durban as its preferred host to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.

• South Africa will bid for either the 2036 or 2040 Games, SASCOC acting president Lwandile Simelane told reporters on Thursday

• The South African government has backed the bid after the cabinet approved it

• SASCOC will deliver presentations to the International Olympic Committee's Future Host Commission in November, with feasibility reviews concluding in March 2027 and a final host selection in 2029

• Durban won the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games but the Commonwealth Games Federation stripped it of the rights in 2017, citing a failure to meet key obligations

Source: Reuters