F1 in Africa: Every African Grand Prix, and What We Know About Rwanda

Formula 1 is going back to Africa. On 13 October 2026, F1 confirmed a 10-year agreement for a Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, at a new circuit in Bugesera, near Kigali. It will be the first World Championship race on the continent since Alain Prost won at Kyalami in 1993.

This guide covers every African Grand Prix in F1 history, what has been confirmed about the Rwanda race, and what is still unknown. We will update it as new details come out.

Every African Grand Prix in F1 History

Africa has hosted 24 Formula 1 World Championship races: one in Morocco and 23 in South Africa, across three circuits.

Morocco: Ain-Diab, 1958

The 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix at Ain-Diab, a fast road course outside Casablanca, was the first World Championship race held in Africa. It was also the season finale. Stirling Moss won, but Mike Hawthorn’s second place was enough to win the title by a single point. The weekend ended in tragedy when Stuart Lewis-Evans suffered severe burns in a crash and died a few days later. Morocco never hosted another championship round.

South Africa: East London, 1962–1965

The South African Grand Prix first joined the championship at the Prince George Circuit in East London, often as the season finale. In 1962, Graham Hill won the race and the title after Jim Clark’s Lotus retired with an oil leak while he was leading. Clark won the next two editions there, in 1963 and on New Year’s Day 1965.

South Africa: Kyalami, 1967–1993

The race moved to Kyalami, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, in 1967, and Kyalami became F1’s home in Africa for the next two decades. Its long main straight and high altitude, around 1,500m, made it one of the fastest tracks of its era. Some of the most important moments in its history were:

• 1977: Tom Pryce and marshal Frederik Jansen van Vuuren were killed in one of the sport’s darkest accidents.
• 1982: Drivers went on strike over new super-licence terms before the race.
• 1985: Renault and Ligier withdrew in protest against apartheid. F1 then left South Africa for six years.
• 1992–1993: After political reform, F1 returned to a shortened, redesigned Kyalami. Nigel Mansell won in 1992 and Alain Prost in 1993. That 1993 race is the last time F1 has raced in Africa.

Every World Championship Race in Africa

Ain-Diab, Morocco (1 race)

• 1958: Stirling Moss (Vanwall)

East London, South Africa (3 races)

• 1962: Graham Hill (BRM)
• 1963: Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
• 1965: Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)

Kyalami, South Africa (20 races)

• 1967: Pedro Rodríguez (Cooper-Maserati)
• 1968: Jim Clark (Lotus-Ford)
• 1969: Jackie Stewart (Matra-Ford)
• 1970: Jack Brabham (Brabham-Ford)
• 1971: Mario Andretti (Ferrari)
• 1972: Denny Hulme (McLaren-Ford)
• 1973: Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
• 1974: Carlos Reutemann (Brabham-Ford)
• 1975: Jody Scheckter (Tyrrell-Ford)
• 1976: Niki Lauda (Ferrari)
• 1977: Niki Lauda (Ferrari)
• 1978: Ronnie Peterson (Lotus-Ford)
• 1979: Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari)
• 1980: René Arnoux (Renault)
• 1982: Alain Prost (Renault)
• 1983: Riccardo Patrese (Brabham-BMW)
• 1984: Niki Lauda (McLaren-TAG)
• 1985: Nigel Mansell (Williams-Honda)
• 1992: Nigel Mansell (Williams-Renault)
• 1993: Alain Prost (Williams-Renault)

The 1981 South African GP was run as a non-championship race during the FISA–FOCA dispute, so it is not included.

Jody Scheckter’s 1975 win is the only time a South African driver has won his home Grand Prix. Four years later he became world champion with Ferrari.

What’s Confirmed About the Rwanda Grand Prix

The announcement on 13 October 2026 confirmed these details:

• Deal: 10 years, between Formula 1 and the Rwanda Development Board.
• Name: Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda.
• Location: Bugesera, in Rwanda’s Eastern Province, about 40km south of Kigali, next to the new Kigali International Airport.
• Circuit: A new purpose-built track designed to FIA Grade 1 standards, the level required to host F1. It is being designed by WurzDesign, the firm led by former F1 driver Alex Wurz, together with Tilke Engineers & Architects. The layout will use the area’s natural elevation changes, which fits Rwanda’s nickname, the “Land of a Thousand Hills.”
• Timing: F1 says the race will join the calendar in the early 2030s, once the circuit is finished. Some earlier reports pointed to 2030, but that has not been confirmed.
• Wider project: The circuit is meant to anchor a year-round venue for motorsport, events and conferences.

Rwanda has been building towards this for several years. It hosted the FIA’s annual General Assembly and Awards in Kigali in December 2024, where President Paul Kagame publicly confirmed the bid. At the announcement he said: “Today belongs to Africa.”

What We Don’t Know Yet

• First race date: F1 has only said “early 2030s.” Much depends on how quickly the circuit can be built.
• Calendar slot: F1 says the race’s place in the season will be confirmed “in due course.”
• Final layout and lap length: The design is still being finalised, and only concept renders have been shown.
• Construction milestones: No groundbreaking or completion dates have been published.
• Financial terms: These have not been disclosed.

Why Rwanda Matters

Africa is the only inhabited continent without a Grand Prix. F1 says the continent has more than 100 million fans, and almost 60% of fans in key sub-Saharan markets are under 35. Once Rwanda joins the calendar, F1 will race on every inhabited continent for the first time since 1993.

Drivers have pushed for it for years. Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black world champion, has been the most vocal. “I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa,” he said, adding that he had been pushing for a race behind the scenes. George Russell made the same argument, calling Africa the only inhabited continent F1 doesn’t visit and saying it was “about time we had a race there.”

It isn’t the only bid. South Africa has spent years trying to bring the race back to Kyalami or Cape Town, and Morocco has also shown interest. Rwanda’s purpose-built, government-backed project is the one that got a signed deal.

It’s also been controversial. Rwanda’s role in the conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo has drawn criticism. In 2025, the DRC’s foreign minister wrote to F1 urging it to avoid a “blood-stained association” with Rwanda, and rights groups have accused the country of “sportswashing” through its Visit Rwanda sponsorships. Rwanda describes its military presence as defensive. These questions are likely to stay attached to the race as it approaches.

What’s Next

We’ll update this section as new details come out.

• Circuit layout reveal: This is the next major milestone. Expect the corner count, lap length and elevation profile.
• Construction start: Groundbreaking at Bugesera.
• First race date: The inaugural year and calendar slot.
• Other African bids: Whether South Africa or Morocco can still secure a second African race.

For the current season, see the 2026 F1 schedule and our Circuit Guide for every venue on the calendar.

FAQ

When was the last F1 race in Africa? The 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, won by Alain Prost for Williams.

How many F1 races have been held in Africa? 24 World Championship races: 23 South African Grands Prix and one Moroccan Grand Prix in 1958.

When is the first Rwanda Grand Prix? No date has been set. F1 says the race will start in the early 2030s, once the Bugesera circuit is complete.

Where will the Rwanda Grand Prix be held? At a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 40km south of Kigali, next to the new Kigali International Airport.