South Africa is spearheading an ambitious joint bid with five neighbouring countries to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), marking one of the most significant regional sporting collaborations in recent years.
The proposed bid brings together South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Mozambique in a coordinated effort to bring Africa’s premier football tournament back to Southern Africa for the first time since 2013.
The initiative reflects a growing trend in continental football where multi-country hosting models are increasingly being adopted to share infrastructure demands, reduce financial pressure, and expand the tournament’s regional footprint.
A key feature of the Southern African proposal is its strong emphasis on using already existing stadium infrastructure rather than committing to large-scale new construction projects.
S.A sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has repeatedly stressed that any country participating in the bid must demonstrate readiness through current stadium capacity and functional sporting infrastructure.
This approach aligns with a more pragmatic hosting model that prioritises sustainability and cost efficiency, especially as AFCON continues to grow in scale and logistical complexity.
South Africa, which has previously hosted both the 1996 and 2013 editions of AFCON as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is expected to serve as the anchor nation in the bid. Its advanced stadium network, including world-class venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria, positions it as the logistical backbone of the proposal.
Neighbouring countries including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Mozambique would contribute additional stadiums and training facilities, ensuring a distributed but coordinated tournament structure across the region.
The renewed bid signals a strategic effort by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to reassert itself as a central player in continental football hosting rights.
The bid is being driven at a ministerial level, with Gayton Kenzie playing a central coordinating role in aligning the participating countries.
McKenzie has also emphasized accountability and readiness, insisting that only countries with proven infrastructure should be included in the hosting arrangement.
This stance is intended to strengthen the bid’s credibility by demonstrating that the region can immediately deliver a fully functional tournament without delays or construction risks.
A major turning point for the bid will come during the COSAFA presidential elections scheduled for May 17, 2026, in Zimbabwe.
The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) is expected to play a key role in determining whether the joint bid moves forward in its current form or undergoes adjustments before submission to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The elections are expected to serve as a platform for formal discussions between member associations, potentially finalising the structure of the bid and confirming which countries will take on specific hosting responsibilities.
Despite the strong push for regional collaboration, South Africa has reportedly prepared a contingency plan in case the multi-nation model does not materialise.
Officials have indicated that the country is willing to submit an independent bid for AFCON 2028 if the broader Southern African proposal fails to gain consensus or approval from regional stakeholders.
The Southern Africa bid aligns with a broader shift in CAF’s approach to tournament hosting. Recent and upcoming editions of AFCON have increasingly embraced multi-country hosting models as a way to distribute costs and expand the tournament’s reach..
