South Africa steps up Kyalami F1 return bid

South Africa has intensified its push to bring Formula 1 back to Kyalami, with President Cyril Ramaphosa set to attend a grand prix later this year as part of a political and commercial effort to return the championship to Africa for the first time since 1993.

Sports minister Gayton McKenzie said Ramaphosa’s trip would be “a working visit, not a social one” as the country tries to strengthen its case with Formula 1’s decision-makers. Speaking to African Business, McKenzie said, “The President's visit will allow us to observe, engage and strengthen our case,” framing the appearance as part of a broader campaign to show South Africa can meet the demands of hosting a modern grand prix.

That bid is centered on Kyalami, the circuit north of Johannesburg that last hosted Formula 1 in 1993. The FIA approved plans last year to upgrade the 4.52km track to Grade 1 status, the standard required to host F1, with the work to be completed within a three-year window. Apex Circuit Design is leading the project, with changes aimed at preserving Kyalami’s layout and “DNA” while delivering the safety and infrastructure improvements the series requires.

McKenzie said South Africa is working methodically through the criteria for a race, covering “commercial, logistical, infrastructural and safety requirements.” He also said the aim is to prove the country is ready for Formula 1’s “very strict requirements.”

The push comes as Formula 1 continues to signal interest in returning to Africa, but without any promise of a quick decision. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said in May, “We cannot go to a new place without staying for a long time.” He added that discussions are progressing with three places in Africa, but “realistically speaking, I don't think we're going to have an outcome in the very short term.”

That caution matters because the calendar is already tight. Formula 1 has 24 rounds scheduled for 2027 and 2028, which means any new race will need more than political support and circuit upgrades to secure a place.

South Africa is also not bidding in isolation. Rwanda launched its own Formula 1 bid in December 2024 with plans for a permanent circuit near Kigali, while Morocco is studying a project near Tangier. That competition raises the stakes for South Africa’s effort to present Kyalami as the most credible route for the championship’s long-awaited return to the continent.

Lewis Hamilton has been one of the strongest public backers of that wider African push. Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion said, “For the past six years, maybe seven, I've been fighting in the background to get a grand prix.” He added: “I don't want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there [in Africa], without getting to race there.”

For South Africa, that support helps underline the sporting case, but the decisive work now sits with the bid itself: convincing Formula 1 that Kyalami can complete its Grade 1 transformation and that the country can offer the long-term commitment Domenicali says any African return will require.