Frenchman Alain Prost claimed the last of his four Formula One world championships at the Kyalami Circuit near Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1993, the last time the continent hosted a Grand Prix. The event’s subsequent collapse brought Formula One’s presence in Africa to an abrupt end. More than three decades later, Africa is preparing for a likely return to the sport’s calendar, with Rwanda securing a 10-year partnership to host a Grand Prix, with the inaugural race projected for the early 2030s. South Africa and Morocco have also been linked to efforts to bring Formula One back to the continent, but Rwanda’s agreement marks a significant step towards making that ambition a reality. For Rwanda, however, the proposed Grand Prix is beyond motor racing. The government sees it as an opportunity to attract investment, boost tourism, create jobs and develop technical skills, while positioning the country as a regional hub for business and international sporting events. During an exclusive interview with The New Times, Sports Minister Nelly Mukazayire said Rwanda viewed the agreement as a responsibility to the wider continent, with the potential to open new opportunities for African talent and businesses. “The excitement of F1 had been for so long left out of Africa, and Africans are known to be good fans,” she said, describing the partnership as a long-term commitment whose benefits should be felt beyond Rwanda. With Africa’s population estimated at around 1.3 billion, much of it young, Mukazayire said bringing Formula One back would offer opportunities to expand participation in a sport that has largely been absent from the continent for decades. The announcement follows President Paul Kagame’s declaration at the FIA Awards in Kigali in 2024 that Rwanda was bidding to host a Formula One Grand Prix. ALSO READ: Kagame says Rwanda's bid to host Formula 1 Grand Prix 'progressing well' Why Rwanda secured the deal According to Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Chief Executive Officer Jean-Guy Afrika, the country’s experience in hosting major international sporting events was among the factors that strengthened its bid. Rwanda has hosted several high-profile competitions and gatherings, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, the FIFA Congress and the FIA Awards. Afrika said the country had demonstrated its ability to organise large-scale events while presenting a broader vision that links the proposed Grand Prix to tourism, infrastructure and economic development. “I think there are several reasons why F1 ended up choosing Rwanda. It's not the first time that we organise a large-scale sporting event. We've already shown an ability to execute and deliver large-scale events here in Rwanda,” he said. “The second one was probably vision, and it was very clear when we started bidding for the event to happen here that it was bigger than just F1 itself and was part of a larger project that ties with the airport and driving tourism,” he added. The government is pursuing the project through a consortium involving public institutions, private-sector partners and technical specialists, working alongside Formula One and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Afrika also emphasised that Rwanda’s selection should not prevent other African countries from pursuing opportunities to host the sport in the future. “We very much welcome other countries joining and placing bids and competing for Formula One,” he said. A huge boost for tourism The planned Grand Prix will be presented by Visit Rwanda, extending the country's strategy of using international sports partnerships to raise its profile and attract visitors. The tourism brand has partnered with prominent sporting organisations, including English football clubs Arsenal and Bayern Munich, French side Paris Saint-Germain, Spanish club Atlético de Madrid, the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams. Rwanda has also been involved in the Basketball Africa League. ALSO READ: Hamilton, Verstappen welcome Africa’s potential return to F1 calendar Afrika described Formula One as a natural extension of the strategy, offering access to a global audience while creating opportunities to attract more international and African tourists. “It's a continuation of the strategy to use sports to increase the country's visibility and drive inbound tourism. The strategy has been very successful,” he said. According to Afrika, Rwanda recorded $685 million in tourism receipts in 2025 and is targeting $1.9 billion in 2026. He said the Grand Prix would support efforts to grow tourism by attracting visitors beyond the race itself, with opportunities to promote Rwanda as a destination for leisure, business and other sporting activities. More than 100 million Africans follow Formula One, according to figures cited by Afrika, with approximately 60 per cent of the audience aged below 35. “The idea is to continue to use Visit Rwanda, which is presenting the F1 race, to drive tourism to the country and, in this particular case, not only global tourism but also African tourism,” he said. The size and age profile of the audience, he added, make the continent an important market for Formula One as it seeks to expand its reach. Bugesera airport city at the centre of investment plans Rwanda expects the Grand Prix to stimulate economic activity across hospitality, construction, transport, logistics, retail, financial services and real estate. Afrika said the event should be viewed as a long-term investment rather than expenditure on a single race, with potential returns extending across the wider economy. “It's an investment. It's not an expenditure for a single event. And it's a long-term investment with several ways in which we expect returns to come back to the economy,” he said. A key part of the plan is the development of Bugesera International Airport and an airport city around the facility. The proposed commercial hub is expected to accommodate logistics operations, hotels, apartments, restaurants and other businesses serving travellers and investors. According to Afrika, the new airport is expected to increase passenger-handling capacity from about one million to more than five million, creating additional opportunities for businesses serving international arrivals. He said the Grand Prix could amplify the economic potential of these developments by generating demand for accommodation, transport, food services, retail and other activities. “Hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, but also logistics, because when tourists visit, they have to be able to move. Financial services, because there will be a lot of transactions happening,” he said. Construction is also expected to benefit as Rwanda develops the infrastructure needed for the race, including access roads and facilities for teams, officials, spectators and other visitors. Beyond existing businesses, the government hopes the event will encourage new investors to establish operations around the airport city. “We also expect it to drive new investments, not just for existing investments and hotels and hospitality to benefit, but for new investments to come in,” Afrika said. He added that new businesses could create jobs, expand the tax base and increase government revenue available for infrastructure and social and economic development. However, the scale of those benefits will depend on how effectively Rwanda attracts investors and converts the expected increase in demand into sustainable business activity. Preparing for a decade of racing Under the agreement, Rwanda expects to host a Grand Prix annually for 10 years, with the first race projected for the early 2030s. Mukazayire said preparations would extend well beyond the construction of a racing circuit, requiring investment in transport, accommodation, restaurants, entertainment, operational systems and the workforce needed to deliver the event. She acknowledged that hosting Formula One would be a major undertaking but said Rwanda would draw on its experience in organising international competitions and seek expertise from across Africa and beyond. “Our target is to make sure that we run an African Grand Prix that represents long-term value for Rwandans and for Africa,” she said. The government’s ambition is to integrate the race into a wider ecosystem of infrastructure and services, ensuring that investments made ahead of the inaugural event continue to support economic activity throughout the partnership. Afrika said the new infrastructures in Bugesera including the airport and other amenities that are part of the Airport City supporting will be important elements of that broader vision, with Formula One expected to help increase demand for the facilities and services being developed. Creating opportunities for young Rwandans Beyond tourism and investment, the government wants the Grand Prix to support local talent development and create career opportunities in motorsport. Mukazayire said the initiative aligns with Rwanda’s sports strategy, which prioritises talent development, increased participation and employment. She noted that motorsport encompasses much more than professional driving, offering opportunities in engineering, mechanics, vehicle technology, technical support and event management. ALSO READ: F1 in Rwanda: A gateway to opportunities for African youth The government also envisages establishing a motorsport academy to help young Rwandans develop the skills needed to participate in the industry. “We're being intentional in giving an opportunity to an African or a young Rwandan to also enter into that sport,” she said. “There is a place for a young Rwandan in this motorsport, whether it's behind the wheel, whether it's crafting the wheel or even running the event,” she added. The expected economic activity could also create employment in hospitality, construction, transport, retail and financial services, opening opportunities for people whose skills are not directly related to racing. For Africa more broadly, the return of Formula One could provide a platform to develop technical expertise, strengthen participation in motorsport and connect local talent with the global industry. Rwanda’s challenge will be to translate the agreement into tangible benefits through infrastructure development, investment, training and job creation. As preparations move forward, the government is betting that the Grand Prix can become more than a sporting spectacle, serving as a catalyst for tourism, business expansion and the development of motorsport in Rwanda and across Africa.
