South Africa names Durban as main candidate city for 2036 or 2040 Olympic bid

South Africa on Thursday named Durban as the main candidate city for its bid to host the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Lwandile Simelane made the announcement. He is acting president of South Africa's national Olympic committee. Al Jazeera gives the body's full name as the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Durban is South Africa's third-biggest city. Johannesburg and Cape Town were also considered. Officials said they could not yet estimate what hosting the Games would cost South Africa if the bid succeeded.

South Africa is one of seven countries bidding for the 2036 Games. The others are India, Qatar, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) set 31 October as the deadline for national Olympic committees to formally declare interest. It will choose the 2036 host in mid-2029.

Background

Durban was promoted as a possible Olympic host more than a decade ago, after South Africa staged the 2010 football World Cup, the first World Cup held in Africa. An official bid did not follow, largely because of concerns over costs.

According to Al Jazeera, Durban has about 4 million people and lies on the subtropical Indian Ocean coast. Al Jazeera also reports that Durban was stripped of the 2022 Commonwealth Games because it could not provide the required financial or other guarantees. South Africa previously bid without success for the 2004 Games in Cape Town, according to Al Jazeera.

If the bid succeeds, South Africa would be the first African host of the Summer Games since the modern Olympics began in 1896, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet adds that the Youth Olympics open this weekend in Dakar, Senegal, the first Olympic sports event held in Africa.

Next steps

According to Al Jazeera, candidates can make virtual presentations to the IOC next month to start the official bidding process. Al Jazeera cites the IOC as saying its board will approve a shortlist in March.

What each side says

Simelane said Durban would be the main candidate city. Al Jazeera and The Guardian quoted him as saying the bid would likely, or probably, be a "multi-city bid", with some events held in other cities. South African officials said they cannot yet estimate costs. According to Al Jazeera, they said the bid would be centred on the 56,000-seat Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup.

What the reports do not say

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include a cost estimate or say who would fund the Games or provide guarantees. They do not name the other host cities or say why Durban was chosen. They do not say whether South Africa has formally declared interest, or whether it is prioritising 2036 or 2040. They include no statement from the South African government, and no IOC comment on South Africa's bid beyond the timeline Al Jazeera attributes to the IOC. Al Jazeera and The Guardian published closely parallel reports, and neither credits a news agency.

Analysis

The choice of Durban puts an existing World Cup venue at the centre of the bid. It also revives a candidacy that earlier stalled over costs. Without a cost estimate or a funding plan, it is unclear how South Africa would address the type of guarantees that, according to Al Jazeera, cost Durban the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Several paths remain open. South Africa could focus on 2036 against six rivals, or on 2040. A multi-city plan could spread costs or add complexity. The IOC shortlist reported for March may offer the first external signal of the bid's standing.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.