South Africa prefers Durban for 2036 or 2040 Olympics
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
The South African Olympic and Paralympic Committee has selected Durban as its preferred city for a bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games, ahead of Johannesburg and Cape Town. The preference does not yet constitute official status and must be discussed with the International Olympic Committee, according to TimesLIVE.
Durban has been selected as the preferred city by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Sascoc, for a potential bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games. Its acting president, Lwandile Simelane, made the announcement on Thursday 29 October 2026 at the organisation’s headquarters in Johannesburg, according to TimesLIVE.
The city was chosen ahead of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Simelane stressed, however, that this designation does not yet constitute formal preferred candidate-city status: Sascoc must continue discussions, inform the International Olympic Committee and draw up a project including a venue plan, a funding strategy and an assessment of the benefits for communities, according to TimesLIVE.
South Africa is among the countries interested in the 2036 Games, along with India, Qatar, Germany, Hungary, Türkiye and South Korea. The United Kingdom and Egypt are among the countries interested in the 2040 edition. The IOC will no longer accept new expressions of interest for 2036 after 31 October 2026, according to TimesLIVE.
Interested cities must submit a digital presentation to the IOC in November. Sascoc says strategic discussions with Durban will begin only if South Africa passes the next stages of the international dialogue. Durban lost the right to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games in 2017 because of financial difficulties, budget disagreements and scheduling delays, according to TimesLIVE.
