Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time since 1993 after signing a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix in the early 2030s.
The race, presented by Visit Rwanda, will be held at a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of the capital, Kigali.
The agreement was announced on Tuesday, October 13, with the circuit expected to be completed early in the next decade.
The track will be developed to meet FIA Grade 1 standards, the highest required for hosting Formula 1 races, as part of a wider project led by the Rwanda Development Board.
Located close to the new Kigali International Airport, the circuit will use the area’s natural landscape and elevation changes to create a challenging racing experience.
Beyond Formula 1, the venue is expected to host other motorsport competitions, international events, conferences and entertainment activities.
Formula 1 last raced on the African continent at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit in 1993. The return to Rwanda will mark a major step in the sport’s efforts to expand its global presence.
Formula 1 says Africa already has more than 100 million fans, with almost 60 per cent of fans in key sub-Saharan African markets under the age of 35.
Formula 1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali described the agreement as a landmark moment for the sport.
“Africa has always been part of Formula 1’s future, and from the beginning we were determined to return in the right way, with the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for creating meaningful impact,” he said.
Domenicali added that the project was intended to deliver benefits beyond the race weekend through tourism, investment, skills development and opportunities for local businesses.
Rwanda President Paul Kagame said the agreement would give African fans the opportunity to experience the sport on the continent while creating opportunities for young people.
“Rwanda is proud to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, and to share this moment with more than 100 million fans across Africa, many of them young people who deserve to see the sport at home and to see themselves in it: as engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and, one day, drivers,” he said.
Kagame added that the 10-year partnership was an investment in Rwanda’s future, with the circuit and airport expected to support jobs, tourism and business development.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem also welcomed the agreement, describing the return of Formula 1 to Africa as a historic moment.
He said the FIA would work with Formula 1 and its partners to ensure the new circuit meets international standards while helping develop motorsport talent across the continent.
Further details, including the inaugural race date, construction milestones and race-weekend plans, are expected to be announced later.
The Rwanda Grand Prix will make Africa the final inhabited continent to be represented on the Formula 1 calendar once the race begins.