News · Sport · Public investment
Durban chosen for South Africa’s Olympic push: what happens next
South Africa has chosen its preferred city for possible 2036 or 2040 Games. The next stages will test venues, guarantees and lasting community value.
Durban is South Africa’s preferred city for proposed 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games. International assessment comes next: the 2036 host is scheduled to be elected in mid-2029.
SASCOC’s announcement says an independent panel considered Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg through presentations and venue visits during October 2026. South Africa is participating in the International Olympic Committee’s Continuous Dialogue process and is due to present its hosting vision to the Future Host Commission in November.
The timetable ahead
The IOC’s current selection framework introduces an intermediate Strategic Dialogue stage. Its executive board is to shortlist interested parties in March 2027, when they will provide an initial questionnaire response and core financial guarantees.
Site visits and further assessment will follow. The IOC plans to open Targeted Dialogue with preferred hosts in late 2028, requiring updated submissions and a full set of legal and financial guarantees before the eventual election. These stages require further decisions; Durban’s national selection does not secure passage through them.
The promise for residents
In a municipal statement published on 31 October, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba welcomed the selection and pointed to potential opportunities in construction, logistics, hospitality, transport and technology. He said small businesses and young professionals should participate in the prospective economic benefits. Those are the city’s ambitions, rather than independently established employment forecasts.
SASCOC proposes using existing venues, refurbishment and temporary facilities where appropriate. It says new permanent infrastructure must meet long-term public or sporting needs, with inclusion and accessibility central to its vision.
What a credible proposal must show
The published announcements do not provide a complete hosting budget, identify the eventual division of financial risk or quantify permanent jobs. Comparing benefits with costs will require those details, including who would pay for maintenance and how transport and venues would serve residents after the event.
For communities, an accessible facility needs to remain usable beyond a major competition: its location, transport links, fees and maintenance all matter. A public assessment could test those practical questions alongside sporting requirements, with milestones against which delivery can be judged.
The November presentation is the next milestone in turning the hosting vision into a proposal that can be examined.