There is value in holding the Olympics in SA, but do we have the resources available, with so many other things needing urgent attention?
The Olympic rings on display during the previous edition of the Games in Paris in 2024. Thibaud Moritz/AFP
If South Africa wins the bid for the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games, I’m sure South Africans will get behind it.
As a nation, we’ve proved that we are great hosts. The 1995 Rugby World Cup, the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the 2023 Netball World Cup. We’ve done an excellent job with all these events.
The problem is that the Olympic Games has serious logistical challenges. Some sports, including football, need to be played around the country, and we need to upgrade a lot of facilities.
And Durban, as the host city, would need a proper overhaul. Public transport needs to be up to scratch, an entire Olympic village needs to be built, and even Moses Mabhida Stadium – one of the best sports facilities in SA – needs an expensive upgrade.
To be clear, I love the Olympics. I have focused on Olympic sports for much of my career because it’s where my passion lies, and I’ve had the privilege of attending two editions of the Games.
But I do wonder if we should be using as many resources as it would require to host the multi-sport showpiece.
Lots of work to be done
Most codes would be contested in Durban, and as the official hosts, the coastal city would need to be ready.
At this stage, we have no athletics track capable of being used for such a high-profile event, so one would need to be installed at Moses Mabhida, and the King’s Park Swimming Pool is in such a poor state that it would need to be rebuilt, unless a better solution is found.
Athletics and swimming are the most popular sports at the Games, and Durban doesn’t even have facilities to host these codes.
On top of this, we need public infrastructure to host millions of tourists, accommodate them, entertain them and show off the city.
Yes, the increase in tourism would be awesome for one of our country’s most underrated tourist destinations, and it would be a big boost for Olympic sports in SA, but the question is: Is it worth the cost?
Other things need attention first
South Africa is struggling financially, our public hospitals can barely stay afloat, kids going to public schools don’t have enough desks or textbooks, and the issues we have with running water and electricity have affected all of us.
As much as I love the Olympic Games, and I wish we could host it, we have other things in our society that require urgent attention.
Maybe within a few years we will be in a better position to spend this sort of money, but we can only hope.
Until we’re sure we can invest hundreds of billions of rands into a sports event, perhaps we should focus on other things first.
Right now, we have more important priorities.
