South Africa is seriously considering a bid for the Olympic Games, either in 2020 or 2024, following the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup tournament, a top South African official said on Monday.
Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), confirmed that South Africa would consider putting in a bid.
Sam told the South African Press Association (SAPA) that his Olympic governing body would consult the South African government and South Africa's national federations with the possibility of hosting the games on the continent.
"It is the dream of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that developing countries are given an opportunity to host the Olympics," Sam said.
He added that it is now up to the South African government, the South African national Olympic committee and the South African sporting community to decide whether to bid for the Olympics.
"I can't say that we will be going for 2020 or 2024, but we will be guided by the sporting movement in this country as to what we are going to do."
Sam was speaking in Johannesburg after receiving a minibus vehicle on behalf of SASCOC from IOC president Jacques Rogge.
Rogge told journalists that the FIFA World Cup had been an "outstanding success" and that an Olympic bid from South Africa would be welcomed after the nation had organized yet another successful international sports tournament.
Rogge noted that South Africa had previously hosted a very successful All Africa Games (in 1999), a Rugby World Cup (in 1995) and international cricket championships (including the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007).
"Now it is up to you as a nation to decide if you want to host this event."
At the same briefing, South Africa's deputy sport minister Gert Oosthuizen said the South African government had already shown interest in bidding for a future Olympics and would be in discussions with SASCOC about the 2020 and 2024 Games.
"I think it's safe to say that we have expressed interest in hosting an event of this magnitude that will leave legacies," he said.
Last week authorities in the South African port city of Durban expressed interest in staging the Olympics.
Following Beijing's successful hosting of the 2008 Olympics, London will be host in 2012, and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.