Cape Town to host SportAccord Convention in 2028, first edition in Africa
Image Courtesy SportAccord
Cape Town will host the 20th SportAccord Convention in 2028, bringing the annual gathering of the world's international sports federations to Africa for the first time. The event is expected to bring senior figures from international federations, the IOC, host cities, event organisers and commercial partners to South Africa, as the country explores a bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. SportAccord, the Lausanne-based organisation governed by stakeholders representing more than 120 Olympic and non-Olympic international federations, confirmed the decision on 7 October. It did not disclose dates, a venue or financial terms, saying further details would follow.
The convention combines official meetings of international federations with networking, conference sessions and exhibitions, giving host cities and commercial partners access to senior decision-makers across global sport. SportAccord says the event brings together more than 1,700 leaders and key decision-makers from more than 120 International Federations, alongside the IOC and organisations involved in international sport.
18 editions ,7 cities and 14 Countries
According to SportAccord, says 18 editions have been staged in 17 cities across 14 countries. The 2026 edition in Baku was postponed and will now take place in the Azerbaijani capital from 9 to 13 May 2027, leaving Cape Town next. South Africa is one of the Interested Parties in continuous dialogue with the International Olympic Committee over a potential 2036 bid. Under the IOC's revised host selection process, Interested Parties will be considered for progression to Strategic Dialogue in March 2027. Further stages of the process would follow, with the host expected to be selected in 2029.
SportAccord attached a condition to the award. Should South Africa progress further in the IOC process, it said, the organisation and its South African partners "will review the arrangements for the 2028 Convention as appropriate." The clause introduces an unusual approach. A convention bringing IOC officials and federation leaders to South Africa could coincide with the country moving deeper into the IOC's Future Host process. SportAccord has therefore kept the option to review the arrangements if the bid advances. The further South Africa's Olympic ambitions progress, the more likely the 2028 convention's arrangements could come under review.
World Championships and Other Major Events
The federations that award world championships and other major events will be in the city, giving South African sports organisations and prospective host cities direct access to the people who help shape the international events calendar. SportAccord itself says the convention provides host cities with access to International Federations and their stakeholders in one location.
Cape Town already has a record to sell. The city hosted the 2023 Netball World Cup, the first edition of the tournament held in Africa, and the Cape Town E-Prix, Formula E's first race in South Africa. It is also due to host the 2028 UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships.vThe wider gain is for African sports. Federations, national Olympic committees, rights holders and other sports organisations on the continent have relatively few opportunities to get senior international decision-makers in one place without travelling to Europe, Asia or the Gulf. Africa has never hosted the Olympic Games. A convention on African soil lowers the cost of getting in the room.
A great opportunity for SportAccord. After postponing its 2026 edition and subsequently announcing Baku for May 2027, the organisation has an opportunity to take its flagship gathering into a new market. An Africa-first edition gives it a new proposition for sponsors, exhibitors and international sports organisations while expanding the Convention's geographic reach.
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