DURBAN: The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) unveiled the coastal city of Durban as its preferred host to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.

South Africa will bid for either the 2036 or 2040 Games, SASCOC acting president Lwandile Simelane told reporters on Thursday. The South African government has backed the bid after the cabinet approved it. SASCOC will deliver presentations to the International Olympic Committee’s Future Host Commission in November, with feasibility reviews concluding in March 2027 and a final host selection in 2029. Durban won the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games but the Commonwealth Games Federation stripped it of the rights in 2017, citing a failure to meet key obligations.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026