Formula 1 will return to the African continent for the first time in almost four decades after agreeing to a landmark 10-year deal to host a Grand Prix in Rwanda starting in the early 2030s.
The announcement marks the end of a long absence for motorsport’s premier championship in Africa, which last staged a race at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit in 1993.
The purpose-built, world-class circuit will be located in Bugesera, roughly 40 kilometres southeast of the capital city of Kigali, alongside a new international airport currently under construction.
The decision follows sustained negotiations led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Formula 1 executives, who have long sought to establish a permanent calendar presence in Africa to ensure global coverage across six continents.
Announcing the agreement, Formula 1 Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali emphasized the sport’s expanding fan base across the continent.
“Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly,” Domenicali said. “We are bringing the excitement, energy and drama of Formula 1 closer to millions of people who have waited a long time to see our sport return to the continent.”
The push to bring Formula 1 back to Africa has also enjoyed strong vocal backing from the sport’s key figures, including seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has repeatedly advocated for a race on the continent.
“I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa,” Hamilton remarked previously. “It is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent.”
High-Stakes Investment and Global Visibility
For East Africa’s central economy, securing a spot on Formula 1’s tightly contested calendar—currently capped at 24 races per season—represents a major sports diplomacy achievement.
The Rwandan government has increasingly leveraged global sports partnerships, including existing high-profile sponsorship deals with European football giants Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, to elevate national tourism and attract foreign direct investment.
Officials in Kigali expect the multi-million-dollar development project in Bugesera to generate thousands of construction and hospitality jobs while driving long-term infrastructure growth across the region.
However, the hosting agreement is also expected to draw heightened international spotlight. Human rights advocacy groups and political analysts have frequently voiced concern over Rwanda’s governance record and regional security tensions in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite rival interest from South Africa to revamp its Kyalami venue, South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie extended congratulations to Kigali following the announcement.
“We are happy for Rwanda’s 2030 F1,” McKenzie wrote on social media. “They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it… SA will get F1, even before 2030.”
With track architectural layouts and environmental assessments underway in Bugesera, construction on the state-of-the-art facility is slated to begin within the coming years to prepare for its debut early next decade.
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