Cape Town in South Africa has hosted the WADA Africa regional office since 2003 ©Getty Images

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking expressions of interest for hosting its Africa regional office, currently located in Cape Town.

WADA is headquartered in Montreal in Canada, with Cape Town, Lausanne in Switzerland, Uruguay's capital Montevideo and the Japanese capital Tokyo hosting four regional offices.

The South African city has been the location for the Africa regional office since 2003, but WADA has opted to extend the invitation for expressions of interest to the rest of the continent.

A deadline of June 2 has been set for cities and countries to submit an expression of interest, followed by an internal WADA review from June 5 to 16.

A decision on whether to select an alternative host to Cape Town for the Africa regional office is expected from the WADA Executive Committee on September 22 ©WADA
A decision on whether to select an alternative host to Cape Town for the Africa regional office is expected from the WADA Executive Committee on September 22 ©WADA

Site visits to interested cities are scheduled for July 2023, followed by a WADA Evaluation Report being sent to the Executive Committee by September 1.

The Executive Committee is expected to decide on the successful applicant at its meeting on September 22.

The country, city and National Anti-Doping Organisation are required to submit official letters of support, with a commitment to a formal agreement with WADA expected, and details of office space close to supporting bodies and an airport provided.

If a city other than Cape Town is successful, a plan for relocation is set to be developed in October 2023 with a view to the move being completed in 2024.