On Thursday, October 29, 2026, South Africa designated Durban as the flagship city for its bid to host the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The announcement was made in Johannesburg by Lwandile Simelane, interim president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, SASCOC. If successful, this would be the first edition of the Olympic Games held on the African continent.
The decision opens a new phase of a still exploratory process. SASCOC must present the South African project to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Hosts Commission in November, followed by feasibility assessments scheduled until March 2027. The final choice of the host city for the 2036 Games is expected in 2029.
Durban was preferred over Johannesburg and Cape Town after reviewing the interested cities and their infrastructures. However, the project could distribute certain competitions across several cities, in accordance with the model now accepted by the IOC. The South African authorities thus want to limit new constructions and rely on existing facilities.
The national government supports the approach. The South African cabinet authorized in November 2025 the country’s entry into ongoing dialogue with the IOC, while presenting this phase as preliminary. The green light therefore does not yet constitute the granting of hosting rights nor the guarantee that Durban will advance to the decisive phase.
The Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is at the center of the planned setup in Durban. SASCOC still needs to clarify the financing, the allocation of sites, and the expected benefits for the communities before proceeding with the international process.
South Africa has joined a group of countries interested in the 2036 Games, which notably includes India, Qatar, Germany, Hungary, Turkey, and South Korea. The South African bid may also target the 2040 edition if the IOC’s schedule or evaluation requires it.
Durban had already been awarded the hosting of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but the Commonwealth Games Federation withdrew this hosting in 2017 due to unfulfilled commitments, financial constraints, and missed deadlines. This precedent should weigh in the assessment of the budgetary and operational credibility of the new project.
