South Africa wants to host world’s second-biggest sports showpiece

South Africa is setting its sights on hosting the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games, starting an exploratory dialogue with the IOC.

The South African Cabinet approved the nation’s entry into “continuous dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of its formal intention to bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This decision, announced on Thursday, was made following a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 12 November 2025. This dialogue represents the “critical preliminary and exploratory engagement” required to advance South Africa’s hosting ambitions, said Cabinet in a statement.

“Cabinet is confident of South Africa’s readiness to host the Olympics given South Africa’s available infrastructure,” the statement continued.

Cricket World Cup 2027 already caught; Rugby World Cup 2035 next?

Should a bid succeed, hosting the Olympics would cap an era of major sporting events on South African soil, demonstrating proven logistical prowess.

South Africa is already focused on preparing for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, an event spanning several host cities including Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, with a further 10 matches being hosted in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) sees the 2027 Cricket World Cup, the first on African soil in 24 years, as a “sought-after opportunity” to unify and showcase the region’s rich cultural identity.

This ambition is paralleled by the South African Rugby Union (SARU), which is reportedly considering a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup.

Huge cost of hosting Olympic Games in South Africa

While South Africa looks to the future Olympic cycle (past Brisbane 2032), they will be observing the massive undertaking of previous host – France.

The Paris 2024 Games, which saw participation from a 138-athlete strong South African contingent, were expected to cost approximately €9 billion (R177 billion).