Olympic Games: South Africa bids to make Durban host city for 2036 or 2040

What the report says

South Africa has chosen Durban as its preferred host city for bids to stage the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Associated Press coverage. The announcement was made by Lwandile Simelane, acting president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who said Durban would lead the effort, though the proposal may involve a multi-city format with events spread to other locations.

Durban, on South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast, had been discussed as a potential Olympic host for years after the country’s 2010 FIFA World Cup, but a formal bid did not move forward at the time because of cost concerns. The city also lost its hosting rights for the 2022 Commonwealth Games after failing to secure the required financial and other guarantees. Officials said they were not yet able to estimate how much an Olympic Games would cost if South Africa won the bid.

The plan would center on Moses Mabhida Stadium, a 56,000-seat venue built for the World Cup. Johannesburg and Cape Town were also considered during the selection process. South Africa is one of seven countries expressing interest in the 2036 Games, with the IOC set to choose a host city for 2036 in mid-2029 after an initial bidding process begins this year.

If successful, South Africa would become the first African host of the Summer Olympics since the modern Games began in 1896, a milestone that would add to the continent’s growing role in major international sport.