The minister of sport, Gayton McKenzie, has told international media that South Africa is preparing a bid to host the Olympic Games — a move he described as a chance to bring the Games to the African continent for the first time — and is pursuing a return of Formula 1 to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.
Minister frames moves as remedy to global exclusion
In an interview published on 17 August 2026, McKenzie said South Africa must strive to host major international events because, in his view, global sport remains incomplete while Africa is marginalised from its biggest competitions. He pointed to the absence of a current African Formula 1 round and argued the continent should not be overlooked.
“The Olympics will come for the first time to the African continent,”
McKenzie told City AM that several projects are in the pipeline for South Africa, and he did not rule out the country hosting a major athletics meeting such as a Diamond League fixture. He also reiterated reports that the government and sporting stakeholders are considering bids for larger events.
Events under discussion
- Olympic Games — McKenzie said South Africa is bidding as part of an effort to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.
- Formula 1 — the minister expressed a desire to bring F1 back to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.
- Athletics — McKenzie suggested South Africa could host a major athletics meeting such as a Diamond League event.
- Golf — he pointed to South Africa’s staging of the LIV Golf League earlier in the year, which he said attracted about 104,000 people, as proof the country can host large golf events and should seek the sport’s return.
| Event | McKenzie’s position |
|---|---|
| Olympic Games | Bidding to bring first Olympics to Africa |
| Formula 1 | Seeking return to Kyalami |
| Diamond League/Athletics | Possible host for a major athletics fixture |
| Golf (LIV) | Hosted LIV Golf League event with 104,000 attendees; wants golf to return |
McKenzie also suggested there are geopolitical dynamics at play in how major events are allocated around the world. He referred to speculation around FIFA and the 2030 World Cup, and offered the view that African nations have been sidelined in some global sporting decisions.
Context and consequences
Hosting the Olympics, Formula 1 or a Diamond League meeting would carry significant implications for government spending, stadia and transport infrastructure, and event legacy planning. The minister’s statements frame these ambitions as matters of national priority and international positioning; however, any concrete progress would require detailed planning, intergovernmental coordination and engagement with international sport governing bodies.
McKenzie highlighted South Africa’s recent experience with golf as an example of readiness, saying the country hosted "the biggest golf tournament on the African continent with 104,000 people" when it staged the LIV Golf League earlier in the year and arguing the sport must overcome its challenges to return permanently.
He also referenced other African countries’ projects, noting Egypt’s construction of an Olympic Park in its new capital and growing sporting ambitions in Rwanda, to underline a wider continental push for global events.
The minister’s declarations will now need translation into formal bids and technical proposals. That process typically involves feasibility studies, costing, legacy commitments and the backing of national and provincial authorities, as well as buy-in from governing bodies such as the IOC and Formula 1 stakeholders.
For now, McKenzie’s remarks position South Africa publicly as an aspirant for some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events — a statement of intent that starts the conversation about readiness, funding and the broader benefits and costs of hosting.
