Full Breakdown
Durban Named South Africa’s Preferred Candidate for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games
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In this breakdown
01
Core Announcement
On Thursday, acting president Lwandile Simelane of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced that Durban will serve as the main city for South Africa’s bid to host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in either 2036 or 2040. Simelane said the proposal will likely be a “multi-city bid,” with selected events also staged in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
02
Background and Prior Attempts
Durban first entered Olympic discussions after the nation hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first such tournament on African soil. An official bid never materialised then, largely because of cost concerns. The city later lost the right to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games after failing to provide the required financial guarantees.
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03
Bidding Landscape and Key Details
South Africa joins seven nations—India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey—in the race for the 2036 Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select the 2036 host in mid-2029. The IOC set October 31 as the deadline for national Olympic committees to formally declare interest, and a shortlist is expected in March after virtual presentations begin next month. Durban, South Africa’s third-largest city, has an estimated population of about 4 million and would centre its bid on the 56,000-seat Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup.
04
Official Stance on Costs
Simelane emphasized that officials have not yet provided any cost estimates for staging the Games should the bid succeed. This mirrors earlier concerns that contributed to the abandonment of the 2010-era Olympic proposal and the 2022 Commonwealth Games withdrawal.
05
What’s Next
National committees must submit their interest by the October 31 deadline. Following that, candidates will deliver virtual presentations to the IOC, after which the IOC board will approve a shortlist in March. The final decision on the 2036 host city will be announced in mid-2029, determining whether Durban could become the first African city to host the Summer Olympics.