South Africa suffered heavily in the international sports arena as result of its apartheid policy. Prior to the Tokyo Olympic games in 1964, South Africa was banned from taking part in the games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after serious threats by African nations and the Soviet countries. On 15 May 1970, the IOC extended South Africa's ban, resulting in the country's exclusion from the 1972 games in Munich, Germany until the 1996 Atlanta games.
Event record
IOC extends South Africa's ban from Olympic games
- Updated
- 22 Aug 2019

South African History Online. (2019, August 22). IOC extends South Africa's ban from Olympic games. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148914
South African History Online (2019) 'IOC extends South Africa's ban from Olympic games', South African History Online, 22 August. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148914 (Accessed: 8 November 2026).
South African History Online, IOC extends South Africa's ban from Olympic games [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148914, (accessed 8 November 2026).
"IOC extends South Africa's ban from Olympic games." South African History Online, 22 Aug. 2019, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148914. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.
South African History Online. "IOC extends South Africa's ban from Olympic games." South African History Online. August 22, 2019. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0148914.
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