South Africa and Qatar have been confirmed among the nations bidding to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
South Africa’s government approved entry into Continuous Dialogue with the International Olympic Committee as part of its intention to bid for the 2036 or 2040 Games, with the aim of becoming the first host of the event on the African continent.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the continuous dialogue is a preliminary and exploratory engagement that is critical to advance South Africa’s intention to bid. Cabinet said it is confident of South Africa’s readiness to host, citing available infrastructure built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, 1995 Rugby World Cup and 2003 Cricket World Cup.
Cape Town, which previously bid for the 2004 Games and finished third behind Athens and Rome, is expected to be put forward again, although a host city has not been formally specified. Durban had previously won the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games but withdrew in 2017 due to financial constraints.
Qatar has also formalized its campaign with Doha as the proposed host city, alongside India’s bid with Ahmedabad. Other nations in dialogue with the IOC for 2036 include Turkey with Istanbul, Chile with Santiago, as well as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Hungary, Germany with Munich, South Korea and Indonesia.
The 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles and the 2032 Games in Brisbane. The IOC has said a new Strategic Dialogue phase for the 2036 bid process is scheduled to launch in March 2027, with a final host election expected in 2029.
