Rwanda will host a Formula 1 race from the early 2030s, ending the sport’s 33-year absence from the African continent.
Formula 1 announced a 10-year agreement on Tuesday to stage a Grand Prix in Rwanda from the early 2030s. The deal returns the sport to Africa for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.
A Landmark Announcement In Kigali
Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali unveiled the deal at a press conference in the Rwandan capital. Rwandan president Paul Kagame and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem joined him on stage.
“Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1,” Domenicali said.
He explained that the sport will now race on every inhabited continent: “Africa has always been part of Formula 1’s future,” he added.
The event will carry the name Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda. Organisers have not yet confirmed a race date. Rwanda becomes the third African country to host a championship round, after South Africa and Morocco. Morocco staged a race outside Casablanca in 1958.
The Circuit Planned At Bugesera
Rwanda will build a purpose-made FIA Grade 1 circuit at Bugesera, about 40km south of Kigali. The track will sit next to the new Kigali International Airport, which is still under construction. Designers plan to use the natural elevation changes to create a demanding layout. That fits a country known as the Land of a Thousand Hills.
WurzDesign, led by former F1 driver Alex Wurz, is working on the layout with Tilke Engineers and Architects. Tilke also designed Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. Builders expect to finish the venue early in the next decade.
The Rwanda Development Board leads a wider sports, tourism and infrastructure project around the site. Organisers also want the track to host other motorsport events and conferences throughout the year.
Hamilton Leads The Praise
Lewis Hamilton (97.55) has pushed for an African race for years and welcomed the news: “I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa,” the Ferrari driver told reporters in Singapore last weekend.
“We’re on all the other continents but not that one, and there should be no reason for it,” he added.
Hamilton also praised Domenicali for flying to Africa many times to hold talks. Max Verstappen (25.14) said he has visited Rwanda once and called the prospect exciting. George Russell (97.55) described Africa as the only inhabited continent without a race and said it was about time.
South Africa had also hoped to host a race in Cape Town or at Kyalami. Sports minister Gayton Mackenzie congratulated Rwanda on X.
“They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it,” he wrote.
He argued that a continent of 55 countries should not be limited to one race.
Rwanda’s Wider Ambitions
Formula 1 says more than 100 million fans already follow the sport across Africa. Almost 60% of fans in key Sub-Saharan markets are under 35. Kagame spoke of benefits that stretch far beyond a single race weekend.
“This 10-year partnership is also an investment in Rwanda’s future,” he said.
He expects the circuit and the new airport to bring jobs, skills and tourism. Rwanda has built a reputation as a host of major events in recent years. It staged the 2025 UCI Road World Championships and the 2023 FIFA Congress.
The 2024 FIA Awards ceremony also took place in Kigali, where Verstappen collected his fourth title. The Visit Rwanda campaign has carried the country’s name into soccer through club sponsorships.
Kagame has earned praise from Western and regional leaders for rebuilding Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. Critics accuse him of a crackdown at home and of backing the M23 rebel group in neighbouring Congo. Rights groups blame M23 for killings and other abuses. A Formula 1 race would place the country under far greater global attention.
