Senegal Welcomes the World to the Youth Olympic Games

Let the games begin! Between October 31 and November 13, approximately 2,700 young athletes will compete in 35 sports at the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, as well as in Diamniadio and Saly. This marks both a first and a turning point, as it is the first-ever Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa. In fact, it also reflects the continent’s gradual emancipation. The balance of power is slowly shifting in favor of the Global South.

Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates: Nach Singapur 2010, 2014 Nanjing und 2018 Buenos Aires – They were canceled in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic—but the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games are currently taking place in three cities in Senegal. The Games are smaller in scale than the traditional Olympic Games, which means that even smaller cities have the opportunity to host this Olympic multisport event.

Why Senegal

Senegal was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games because the country was considered the most stable, best-prepared, and politically attractive candidate to bring this historic first major Olympic event to African soil.

In the final decision in 2018, the West Africans prevailed over their competitors Botswana, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

A key factor for the IOC was Senegal’s bid proposal, which relied heavily on existing infrastructure and the modernization of existing sports facilities. Instead of building new stadiums costing millions that would fall into disuse after the Games (so-called “white elephants”), proven facilities such as the Piscine olympique de Dakar and the Stade Iba Mar Diop were renovated and modernized. The Olympic Village near Dakar will continue to be used as a student dormitory after the Games.

The IOC had already decided in advance that the fourth Youth Games should be specifically awarded to an African country in order to strengthen the continent’s role in global sports. Senegal presented a pan-African concept with the official motto “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.” The IOC saw Senegal as the perfect ambassador to mobilize African youth, create local opportunities in sports, and offer the continent a global stage. Senegal is sparing no expense to showcase itself to the world through the Games. The concept skillfully distributed the Games across three distinct, already thriving hubs in the western part of the country: the vibrant, historic capital of Dakar; the newly emerging planned city of Diamniadio, which offers modern venues such as the Dakar Arena and the new National Stadium; and the popular coastal town of Saly, which is ideally suited for beach and water sports.

Africa’s Influence Is Growing

The Youth Olympic Games are just one example of a shifting balance of power toward the Global South. Fifty-four of the 193 states currently recognized by the UN are located in Africa, accounting for just under 28% of all countries worldwide. Africa’s population stands at approximately 1.58 to 1.60 billion people and currently accounts for just under 19.1% of the world’s population. Twenty years ago, that share was still 13–14%. According to UN projections, Africa’s share of the world’s population will rise to about 20% by 2030 and to about 25% by 2050. The trend is clear.

Therefore, hosting major global events is both a symptom and a catalyst: it reflects Africa’s growing demographic and economic dynamism and accelerates the continent’s rising geopolitical significance.

The fact that the G20 summit took place in Johannesburg in November 2025—the first time it was held on African soil—clearly underscores this shift. This shift in influence is also evident in the realm of diplomacy: The African Union (AU) was admitted to the G20 as a permanent member in 2023.

Kenya has established itself as a pioneer in renewable energy and successfully hosted the Africa Climate Summit. The goal was to position Africa not as a victim of climate change, but as a provider of solutions (e.g., for green hydrogen and solar power). Speaking of which: With an installed solar capacity of approximately 671 megawatts (MW) by 2026, Senegal ranks third in all of West Africa. With a population of just over 18 million, the country is thus playing a leading regional role in the energy transition in sub-Saharan Africa.

At the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, African and other developing and emerging economies around the world secured a historic resolution to establish a global fund for climate-related loss and damage. Also in Egypt, the World Urban Forum 12 took place in November 2024. Organized by the United Nations (UN-Habitat), this global forum on sustainable urban development sought solutions to rapid urban growth.

Youth Is Key

The Youth Olympic Games, whose participants are between the ages of 14 and 18, are currently taking place exactly where they belong. This is because the demographics in Africa as a whole—and in Senegal in particular—are clear: While in Germany the median age (the exact midpoint at which half the population is older and half is younger) is around 45 to 47 years—making Germany one of the countries with the oldest populations in the world—the median age in Senegal is about 19.8 years. About half of the Senegalese population is thus younger than 20. The median age across the entire EU is also very high at 44.5 years.

However, demographics also have their pitfalls. Senegal is struggling with high unemployment, particularly among young people. A financial crisis—one of its own making—is currently driving many young people to leave the country, often via the dangerous route across the Atlantic toward the Canary Islands (more on that here).

After the event is before the event?

The country is proud of the Games, and ticket prices are set to be very affordable for the local population, so that they, too, can benefit from them. Nevertheless, it’s not just IOC President Kirsty Coventr—the first African woman to head the International Olympic Committee—who hopes that the Youth Games are merely a kind of dress rehearsal for the “real” Olympic Games.

Africa is the only continent (not counting Antarctica) that has never hosted the regular Olympic Games. The continent is therefore hopeful that this will not remain the case for much longer. This is partly because the Games are not only a massive marketing event for the host country—attracting millions of tourists—but also because billions are always invested in infrastructure.