For more than three decades, Africa has supplied Formula 1 with fans, commercial opportunities and sporting ambition without hosting a single championship race. That long absence is now set to end, with Rwanda securing a landmark agreement to bring the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition back to the continent.
President Paul Kagame and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced the development in Kigali on Tuesday, October 13, describing it as a breakthrough not only for Rwanda but for Africa’s place in international motorsport.
Rwanda is expected to host the African Grand Prix for 10 years, with the inaugural race planned for the early 2030s, once a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera is completed and approved.
Kagame said the agreement was the result of years of negotiations and a shared belief that Africa deserved a greater role in one of the world’s most commercially successful sporting competitions.
“What brought us together is a shared conviction that Africa has the potential to elevate the quality of motorsport as a global and elite discipline,” Kagame said.
“This partnership is long overdue, but it is a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans.”
Africa last hosted a Formula 1 World Championship race in 1993 at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit, where French driver Alain Prost claimed victory for Williams. Morocco had previously hosted the 1958 championship Grand Prix in Casablanca, won by Britain’s Stirling Moss.
Since the South African race, Formula 1 has expanded into new markets, including Singapore, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The United States now hosts three Grands Prix, in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas, while Africa has remained absent from the championship calendar.
Ben Sulayem said the situation had become increasingly difficult to justify, particularly given the continent’s population, youthful demographics and interest in motorsport.
“Africa deserves more, not because we have to, because we want to. There’s no way the FIA will be growing without having a great and a big continent like the African continent,” he said.
Formula 1’s worldwide fanbase reached approximately 827 million in 2025, according to figures published by the championship, with 43 percent of followers younger than 35. Africa represents an important market for the sport’s future growth, although a continent-wide audience figure for the new Grand Prix has not been independently established.
The championship’s commercial strength also helps explain why countries compete to host races. Formula 1 generated approximately $3.41 billion in revenue in 2024, through activities including race promotion, media rights, sponsorship and other commercial operations.
For Rwanda, joining the championship offers exposure to an international audience, but Kagame said the broader objective is to change Africa’s relationship with global sporting institutions.
“Ultimately, what we want is for the African Grand Prix to pave the way for other races to be hosted on the continent. This is not impossible to achieve, and what we are doing now proves this,” he said.
His remarks suggest Rwanda does not see the agreement as an exclusive national achievement, but as a starting point for expanding international motorsport across Africa.
Ben Sulayem made a similar point when explaining why the competition would be presented as the African Grand Prix rather than simply the Rwanda Grand Prix.
“Just look at the name here: it’s not selfish, it’s not called Rwanda F1, it’s called Africa. This is sending a message; it is about Africa.”
The decision follows Rwanda’s hosting of the FIA General Assemblies and awards ceremonies in December 2024, when Kagame publicly reaffirmed the country’s ambition to bring Formula 1 back to Africa.
That event brought leading figures in international motorsport to Kigali and helped strengthen relations between Rwanda, the FIA and Formula 1 management.
The new Grand Prix will require a circuit meeting FIA Grade 1 standards, alongside substantial investment in roads, telecommunications, safety infrastructure, hospitality and race operations.
The financial terms of the hosting agreement have not been disclosed, and no verified total project budget has been announced.
Kagame nevertheless expressed confidence that Rwanda would deliver the necessary infrastructure and organisational preparations.
“Before we know it, the race weekend will be around the corner, and we will be ready to welcome you all to the African Grand Prix with open arms.”
The agreement marks a major shift in Formula 1’s geographical footprint. But its longer-term significance will depend on whether the return to Africa also creates opportunities for African drivers, engineers, businesses and future host countries.
For the first time since 1993, the continent has a concrete pathway back onto the Formula 1 calendar.
