Formula 1 Is Finally Heading Back to Africa—Here's What's Coming

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-21

Formula 1 is going back to Africa. After more than three decades without a race on the continent, the sport confirmed on Tuesday that Rwanda will host a Grand Prix starting in the early 2030s. It's a big deal—and not just for race fans. The deal runs for 10 years at a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, southeast of Kigali. That means Africa gets a permanent home on the F1 calendar for the first time since 1993. ### Where the Rwanda Grand Prix Will Take Place F1 announced the agreement 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 had first floated the country's bid two years ago, so this has been a long time coming. The circuit will sit near a new international airport under construction at Bugesera, roughly 25 miles south of the capital. Organizers plan to finish the Grade One track early in the next decade. Once Rwanda joins, it becomes the third African country to host a World Championship round since the series began in 1950. Morocco ran a race outside Casablanca in 1958. South Africa held the most recent African event in 1993 at Kyalami, near Johannesburg. Domenicali said the partnership goes well beyond a race weekend. He expects tourism and investment to bring real economic and social benefits. And once Rwanda is on the calendar, F1 will race on every inhabited continent. > "Africa has always been part of Formula 1's future," Domenicali said, adding that the sport wanted to return with the right partner and a long-term commitment. ### Kagame and Hamilton React Kagame called the agreement a milestone for the whole continent and for African fans in particular. He said the circuit and new airport will 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. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has pushed for an African race for years. The 41-year-old Ferrari driver is the only Black driver in F1. Speaking to reporters in Singapore last weekend, he pointed out that every continent except Africa already hosts a Grand Prix—and said there's no reason for that to continue. Domenicali noted that Africa has more than 100 million F1 fans, and that number keeps growing. ### South Africa and Morocco Aren't Giving Up Rwanda's win doesn't close the door on other African bids. Promoters have proposed three venues in South Africa in recent years. Morocco announced a project last year to build a track for a return, though updates have been scarce since. South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, congratulated Rwanda on X even before the news was official. He wrote that Rwanda had worked on its bid longer and deserved the slot. He also made a fair point: Italy has hosted two F1 races in a single season, so a continent of 55 countries can surely 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. South Africa's earlier races took place under apartheid, which drew growing criticism of the sport through the 1970s and 1980s. Several teams boycotted the 1985 race. F1 returned to Kyalami in 1992 and 1993, with the last event held less than a year before the country's first democratic elections. ### Human Rights Concerns Loom 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 carried that push across several sports. Critics accuse the government of using these deals for "sportswashing"—shifting attention away from Kagame's human rights record. Rights groups also accuse his government of cracking down on critics at home. So the road to Rwanda's first Grand Prix will be watched closely, both on and off the track. For now, though, the sport is celebrating a return that fans have wanted for years.