South Africa misses out on hosting Formula 1 Grand Prix

Formula 1 will return to Africa, with a first race set to take place in Rwanda in the early 2030s.

The East African nation will host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix under a 10-year agreement, Formula 1 said in a statement on Tuesday.

“With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the World Championship closer than ever to fans around the globe,” Formula 1 President and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali said.

“Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly.”

The race will take place once the purpose-built 6-kilometre (3.7-mile) circuit in Bugesera has been completed, which is expected to be early in the next decade, according to Formula 1.

“The circuit in Bugesera, alongside the new international airport, will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come,” Rwanda President Paul Kagame said.

The deal will revive the motorsport’s presence on the continent, almost four decades after the last Grand Prix race took place on the continent.

The last time it hosted a competition was in 1993 at the Kyalami Raceway, north of Johannesburg in South Africa. Frenchman Alain Prost won.

Over the past decade, Rwanda has heavily funded international sports partnerships — including high-profile agreements with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain — as part of an effort to position itself as a luxury business and tourism hub.

Liberty Media, the commercial-rights holder for Formula 1, has long prioritised expanding its global footprint into Africa to secure a truly worldwide championship calendar.