Formula 1 set for historic African return as Rwanda secures 10-year deal

Formula 1 is set to return to Africa for the first time in more than three decades, with Rwanda securing a 10-year agreement to host a Grand Prix from the early 2030s, the sport announced on Tuesday.

The championship last visited the continent in 1993, when the South African Grand Prix took place at the Kyalami circuit, north of Johannesburg. Since then, Formula 1 has repeatedly explored opportunities to bring racing back to Africa.

Speaking at a press conference in Kigali, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali described the agreement as a major milestone. The announcement was attended by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1,” Domenicali said.

“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.”

He added that Formula 1 had always intended to return to Africa through a long-term partnership capable of delivering meaningful benefits.

More Than Just a Grand Prix

Rwanda first announced its ambition to host a Formula 1 race two years ago. Plans include constructing a purpose-built Grade One circuit near the new international airport being developed at Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Kigali.

The circuit is expected to be completed in the early 2030s, ahead of the country’s planned debut on the Formula 1 calendar.

Rwanda would become the third African country to host a round of the championship, which began in 1950. Morocco previously staged a race outside Casablanca in 1958, while South Africa hosted the most recent African Grand Prix in 1993.

According to Domenicali, the agreement extends beyond motorsport, with the potential to generate economic growth, attract investment and boost tourism.

“For our fans, this is an especially exciting moment,” he said, adding that Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, with that number continuing to grow.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who races for Ferrari, has also repeatedly called for Formula 1 to return to the continent.

“I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa. It is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We’re on all the other continents but that one, and there should be no reason for it,” Hamilton told reporters in Singapore last weekend.

South Africa has also been pursuing a return to the calendar, with potential venues including Cape Town and Kyalami.

Sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently welcomed Rwanda’s progress, acknowledging that the country had worked on its bid for longer than South Africa.

“We are happy for Rwanda’s 2030 F1,” he wrote on X last week. “They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it.”

McKenzie also argued that Rwanda’s success should not prevent another African nation from hosting a race, pointing to Italy’s previous arrangement of staging two Grands Prix in a single season.

Rwanda Seeks to Build on Tourism and Investment

President Paul Kagame has overseen Rwanda’s post-genocide reconstruction and efforts to establish the country as an attractive destination for tourism, investment and international events.

However, his government has also faced criticism over alleged restrictions on political opponents and dissent. Rwanda has additionally been accused of supporting the M23 rebel group in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where the group has faced allegations of serious human rights abuses.

Rwanda has increasingly used international sporting events and sponsorships to raise its global profile. Its Visit Rwanda campaign has featured partnerships across football, basketball and cycling.

The country hosted the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, the 2023 FIFA Congress and the 2024 FIA Awards ceremony, strengthening its reputation as a destination for major international events.

Hosting Formula 1 would represent a further step in that strategy, bringing the country greater global exposure through one of the world’s most widely followed motorsports.

“Today belongs to Africa,” Kagame said.

“For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement.”

He described the 10-year partnership as an investment in Rwanda’s future, highlighting the expected benefits of the planned circuit and new international airport.

“The circuit, alongside the new international airport, will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come,” Kagame added.