South Africa is in the running for the 2036 summer event.

South Africa is the latest country that wants to land a Summer Olympics and the International Olympic Committee is very happy to hear that. The IOC needs new countries to bid for an Olympics because people in the traditional Olympics cities and countries do not want to pay for a two-week sports event that leaves taxpayers picking up the debt incurred by the Olympics and now the Paralympics which follows the main event. The South African Sports Confederation Olympic and Paralympic Committee met with IOC officials at the IOC’s Lausanne, Switzerland headquarters and said count us in. The outgoing president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach was elated with South Africa throwing its hat into the ring. After all, Bach had just two areas interested in the 2024 Summer Olympics, Paris and Los Angeles. The IOC took both, Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. The IOC had problems attracting countries to bid for the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics. The IOC took an Australian bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics and literally gave away the 2030 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City because no one else wanted the event.

In a statement Bach said, “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 of South Africa. It has been presented to us as a project to organize Olympic Games in South Africa with and for the whole of the African continent. This project could one day lead to the first Olympic Games in Africa.” The 2036 Olympics appears to be a hot commodity. India wants to host the Games. There will be other bids. It all comes down to money and the best offer gets the IOC’s nod.

South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, the President of the South African National Olympic Committee, Barry Hendricks, and the CEO, Nozipho Jafta.