Formula One is coming back to Africa, and Rwanda will host

Kigali — Formula One is returning to Africa. Rwanda has signed a ten-year agreement to host a Grand Prix, President Paul Kagame announced on Tuesday, with the first race expected in the early 2030s.

It will be the first Formula One race on the continent since the South African Grand Prix of 1993, and it means that from the next decade the championship will race on every inhabited continent.

Where it will be held

The race will take place on a purpose-built circuit at Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of Kigali and close to the new Kigali International Airport, Rwanda's New Times reports.

• The track will be built to FIA Grade 1 standard, the level required for Formula One.
• It is being designed around the natural slopes of the land at Bugesera.
• It is part of a wider sports, tourism and business development led by the Rwanda Development Board.
• Outside race weekends it is expected to host other motorsport, conferences and entertainment.

The race will be presented by Visit Rwanda. The date of the first race and the construction timetable are to be announced later.

What Rwanda expects from it

Mr Kagame said the agreement would bring the sport closer to African fans and open careers for young people in motorsport and the industries around it. He described it as a milestone for the continent and said he hoped it would encourage other African races.

The New Times cites more than 100 million Formula One fans in Africa, and says nearly 60% of fans in key sub-Saharan markets are under 35.

Formula One's president, Stefano Domenicali, said the partnership was meant to leave lasting benefits in tourism, investment, skills and local business. The president of the sport's governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said the FIA would work with Formula One to make sure the circuit meets international safety and technical standards.

A long campaign

Rwanda formally announced its bid in December 2024, when it hosted the FIA's general assemblies and awards. It has also hosted the cycling world championships, the Basketball Africa League and the FIFA Congress.

South Africa had bid as well. Its sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, said last week that Rwanda had worked on its bid for longer and deserved the race, and predicted that South Africa would host one of its own, Africanews reports.

Africanews also notes that critics accuse Rwanda of using sport to draw attention away from its human rights record, a charge others say is applied unevenly to host countries.

Sources: The New Times via AllAfrica and Africanews with AFP, 13 October 2026.