South Africa eyes the 2036 Olympics
South Africa is interested in throwing its hat in the ring to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) President, Barry Hendricks, and CEO, Nozipho Jafta along with other stakeholders recently met with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“We are at the start of an exciting new process that could lead to South Africa hosting the 2036 Olympic Games,” said McKenzie.
The minister said South Africa’s interest in hosting a Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games has now been officially lodged with the IOC, marking the country as an Interested Party.
This will lead to a feasibility study being conducted under the guidance of the IOC to determine which city, region or combination of places would be best suited to hosting the Games.
This has to be done in accordance the IOC’s updated approach to bidding emphasising sustainability, the socioeconomic development of the host country and the use of as many existing facilities as possible.
“At this stage, engagements with the IOC are non-committal, with the emphasis being on how best to shape an Olympic bid that will work best for South Africa and the Olympic Movement under the guidance of the IOC,” he added.
IOC President Thomas Bach said that “the IOC warmly welcomes this interest and the united commitment of Sascoc, the government of South Africa and the support of the IOC Member and Honorary Member in South Africa.”
“It has been presented to us… as a project to organise Olympic Games in South Africa – with and for the whole African continent. This project could one day lead to the first Olympic Games in Africa,” said Bach.
After the meeting, McKenzie said that “the Government of National Unity, under President Cyril Ramaphosa, is all about reigniting the fire in the bellies of proud, patriotic South Africans to make South Africa the greatest country in the world.”
“Building around the vision of the first African Olympics will bring us together and showcase Africa to the world, which is what has driven us to start asking the question of what can be done to make this vision a reality,” he added.
Hendricks said that “as SASCOC, we are ready and able to engage with our parent body, the IOC, to host the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.”
“There are no longer the old prescriptions on how a Games can and should be done, and a South African Olympics has the potential to showcase all the wonders of our country and inspire a new generation of athletes to achieve greatness from not just South Africa, but the whole African continent,” added Hendricks.
The IOC said that currently, there are a double-digit number of Interested Parties from four continents discussing hosting a future edition of the Olympic Games.
The Minister said that he will update Cabinet on the upcoming process, which could take several months, before a decision is made on whether to submit an official bid for the Olympics.
Costing concerns
While it is widely viewed as a prestigious event and a privilege to host it, it comes with expensive caveats and risks.
In their paper titled Regression to the tail: Why the Olympics blow up, Flyvbjerg, Budzier and Lunn outline that the average sports-related costs of hosting the games are around $12 billion (R218.8 billion).
Non-sports-related costs, such as airport infrastructure and hotel upgrades, have not been included in this hefty price tag and are typically several times the above (and below) mentioned number.
According to The Oxford Olympics Study 2024: Are Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games Coming Down? by Alexander Budzier, the estimated sports-related costs of hosting the Olympics vary but have reached a whopping R526 billion before.
Johan Fourie, Professor of Economic History at Stellenbosch University, wrote that four reasons cities host the Olympics: economic benefits, global recognition, urban renewal, and national pride.
However, these mega-events often leave cities with significant financial burdens. Cities like Athens, Montreal, and Rio suffered significant economic setbacks post-Games.
However, successful examples like Los Angeles 1984 show that it is possible to profit.
With these concerns raised, McKenzie said that “the costs of putting in a bid to host an Olympics, according to the IOC, have now dropped by as much as 80% due to its new approach, while the actual hosting of the Olympics is also likely to produce results that justify the investment for any host.”
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