South Africa has officially submitted a bid to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2036. If this ambitious candidacy receives support from the International Olympic Committee, the most prestigious global competition will take place on the African continent for the first time in history, opening a new chapter in the Olympic movement.
Large-Scale Bid and Three Cities
South Africa's plan involves hosting major sports competitions simultaneously in three key cities of the country: Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg. This distributed format makes it possible to utilize existing modern infrastructure and minimize the environmental impact on any single region. National Olympic committees have until October 31, 2026, to officially submit their bids for the 2036 Games, after which a stage of detailed preparation and presentations will begin.
Review Schedule and Virtual Presentation
South African sports leadership plans to prepare and present a virtual project presentation by November of this year, which will be submitted to the IOC for consideration. Until March 2027, the international organization is required to thoroughly evaluate all submitted candidacies, conduct a technical audit, and determine the feasibility of holding large-scale competitions in each candidate city.
Historical Context and Past Attempts
It is worth noting that South Africa already has a rich and unsuccessful history of competing for the Olympic legacy. The country previously bid to host the 2004 Games, with Cape Town reaching the penultimate voting round before ultimately losing to Athens. In addition, historical attempts were made by Egypt, which announced plans to host the 1916, 1936, and 2008 Olympics, though none of the African bids have triumphed until now.
