Durban's 56,000-seat stadium anchors South Africa's Olympic bid
The city of 4 million will anchor a multi-city proposal for the 2036 or 2040 Summer Games, with the IOC voting in 2029.
By Aiko Petrov ·
South Africa will formally submit a bid to host the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, selecting Durban as its primary candidate city. Lwandile Simelane, the acting president of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee, announced the decision on Thursday. While Durban serves as the lead city, the proposal will likely function as a multi-city bid, distributing events across other locations in the country.
The choice of Durban, a subtropical coastal city with a population of approximately 4 million, marks a return to Olympic ambitions after a previous attempt more than a decade ago. Durban was considered a potential host following South Africa's successful staging of the 2010 football World Cup. However, officials did not launch a formal bid at that time, primarily due to concerns regarding financial costs.
Financial uncertainty remains a central issue for the current proposal. Officials stated on Thursday that they cannot yet provide an estimate of the total cost to South Africa if the bid succeeds. The plan centers on the Moses Mabhida Stadium, a 56,000-seat venue originally constructed for the 2010 World Cup. Other major economic hubs, including Johannesburg and Cape Town, were evaluated as potential candidates but were not selected as the primary host city.
South Africa joins a field of seven nations competing for the 2036 Games. The other bidders are India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary, and Turkiye. The International Olympic Committee has set October 31 as the deadline for national Olympic committees to declare their interest formally. Candidates are scheduled to deliver virtual presentations to the IOC next month to initiate the official process.
A critical step in the timeline occurs in March, when the IOC board will approve a shortlist of candidates. The committee will determine the final host city for the 2036 Games in mid-2029. Durban's history with major events includes a setback in 2022, when it was stripped of the right to host the Commonwealth Games after failing to meet required financial guarantees.
If successful, South Africa would become the first African nation to host the Summer Olympics since the modern games began in 1896. The country previously bid to host the 2004 Games in Cape Town but was unsuccessful. The bidding landscape is active this weekend as the Youth Olympics open in Dakar, Senegal, representing the first Olympic sports event held on the African continent.
