After 30 Years, F1 Finally Has a Plan to Race in Africa Again

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-21

Formula 1 has been racing on almost every corner of the planet for decades. Everywhere, that is, except Africa. That gap is finally about to close. On Tuesday, F1 confirmed that Rwanda will host a Grand Prix starting in the early 2030s, ending a drought that stretches back more than three decades. The deal is a 10-year contract. The race will run at a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, a district southeast of Kigali. It's a big moment, not just for Rwanda, but for a whole continent that's been waiting a long time for the sport to come back. ### Where the Race Will Happen F1 made the announcement at a launch event in Kigali. Rwandan President Paul Kagame stood alongside F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Kagame first floated the country's bid two years ago, so this has been a slow burn. The circuit will sit near a new international airport under construction at Bugesera, roughly 25 miles south of the capital. Organizers plan to have the Grade One track finished early in the next decade. Once Rwanda joins the calendar, F1 says it will race on every inhabited continent. That's a milestone the sport has never actually hit before. ### A Short History of F1 in Africa Rwanda will become only the third African country to host a World Championship round since the series began in 1950: - Morocco hosted a race outside Casablanca in 1958 - South Africa held the most recent African event in 1993 at Kyalami, near Johannesburg - Rwanda will be the next to join the list That's it. Three countries in more than 70 years. South Africa's earlier races also came under apartheid, which drew growing criticism through the 1970s and 1980s. Several teams boycotted the 1985 race outright. F1 returned to Kyalami in 1992 and 1993, with the last event held less than a year before the country's first democratic elections. ### What Domenicali and Kagame Are Saying Domenicali framed the deal as more than a race weekend. He said it will bring economic and social benefits through tourism and investment, and he stressed that the sport wanted to return with the right partner and a long-term commitment. > "Africa has always been part of Formula 1's future," Domenicali said. Kagame called the agreement a milestone for the entire continent and for African fans in particular. He said the circuit and the new airport would create jobs, skills, and business opportunities in Rwanda and the wider region. He also hopes the deal opens the door to more F1 events across Africa. ### Hamilton Has Been Pushing for This for Years Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion who now drives for Ferrari, has campaigned for an African race for years. He's the only Black driver in F1. Speaking to reporters in Singapore the weekend before the announcement, Hamilton pointed out that every continent except Africa already hosts a Grand Prix, and that there's no good reason for that to continue. Domenicali backed that up with a number: Africa has more than 100 million F1 fans, and the number keeps growing. ### South Africa and Morocco Aren't Giving Up Rwanda's deal doesn't shut the door on anyone else. Promoters have proposed three venues in South Africa in recent years, and Morocco announced a project last year to build a track for a return. Updates on the Moroccan plan have been thin since. South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, congratulated Rwanda on X even before the announcement was official. He wrote that Rwanda had worked on its bid longer than South Africa and deserved the slot. He also pointed out that Italy has hosted two F1 races in a single season, and argued that a continent of 55 countries can easily support more than one event. McKenzie said South Africa will get a race, possibly before 2030. F1's statement on Tuesday didn't mention South Africa at all. ### The Sportswashing Question Rwanda has invested heavily in sport under Kagame. The country has sponsored major European football clubs, built a basketball partnership with the NBA, and hosted the world cycling championships. Its "Visit Rwanda" campaign has pushed that effort into several sports. Critics accuse the government of using these deals for "sportswashing" to shift attention away from Kagame's human rights record. Rights groups also accuse his government of cracking down on critics at home. F1 hasn't addressed those concerns directly, and it's a debate that will likely follow this race all the way to the starting grid. For now, though, the headline is simple: after more than 30 years, Africa is back on the F1 map.