(Reuters) They are the third country to put their name forward to host the 16-nation tournament which could also serve as qualifiers for the World Cup finals the same year.
Egypt and Morocco have already announced their candidatures.
Confederation of African Football officials said the idea of the tournament being used as a World Cup qualifying event had been approved by CAF and will now be put to FIFA.
"We will seek to host the 2006 Nations Cup finals because it will be a very important tournament," Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the South African Football Association said on Wednesday. "It is also part of our bid strategy for the 2010 World Cup finals."
South Africa staged the Nations Cup finals in 1996. The next are in Mali in January 2002 with 2004 in Tunisia.
South Africa are to bid to stage soccer’s 2006 African Nations Cup finals.
