South Africa has officially confirmed its intention to bid for the right to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, marking a renewed push to bring the continent’s flagship football tournament back to the country.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie disclosed the plan during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Rabat, Morocco, where he revealed that the bid could include Namibia and Botswana as co hosts. According to McKenzie, the proposed joint bid aligns with the Government of National Unity’s broader strategy of attracting major international sporting events to stimulate economic growth and tourism.
The minister explained that hosting AFCON would present significant opportunities for infrastructure development, job creation and global exposure, reinforcing South Africa’s position as a leading destination for major sporting competitions on the African continent.
The next Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled for 2027 and will be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June to July. That edition will be the 36th and final tournament to be organised under CAF’s biennial format. It will also be the first AFCON to be hosted by three countries and the first in more than 50 years to take place in the CECAFA region, since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.
In December 2025, the Confederation of African Football announced that the Africa Cup of Nations would switch to a quadrennial format beginning with the 2028 edition, increasing the prestige and competitiveness of the tournament.
South Africa has previously hosted AFCON on two occasions, in 1996 and 2013. The country enjoyed its greatest success in 1996, when Bafana Bafana lifted the trophy on home soil, a historic triumph that remains one of the most celebrated moments in South African football history.
