South Africa is gearing up to secure a spot on the Formula 1 calendar, with plans to raise $50 million to fund its bid to host the prestigious race.
The country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, revealed that discussions with Formula 1 organizers have taken place this week, and South Africa intends to submit its bid in May to host the event in 2027, Bloomberg reported.
To finance the bid, talks are already underway with potential sponsors, including Heineken and Red Bull. If successful, the race would mark F1’s long-awaited return to Africa—a move seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton endorsed last year, stating that the time was right for the continent to rejoin the circuit.
Formula One has not held a race in Africa since the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, north of Johannesburg, in 1993. The country is making another attempt to bring Formula 1 back to the country after a previous bid to host the race fell through in 2023.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has called on all South Africans and interested investors to collaborate with the government in its Formula 1 push, rather than pursuing separate bids.
“I am saying to you that if I don’t bring Formula 1 to South Africa, then I have failed as a Minister of Sports,” McKenzie said of the position to which he was appointed in June as part of a newly formed coalition government. “Formula 1 is coming by fire or by force.”
Rwanda’s Formula 1 dream
Rwanda has also expressed interest in hosting Formula 1, though concerns remain about whether its infrastructure meets the sport’s strict requirements.
Recent reports indicate that Rwanda has invested in constructing a track, set to be designed by former Benetton driver Alexander Wurz.
The country known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’ is looking to utilize its elevated landscape in building a race track, approximately 25km from its capital city of Kigali.
The track which must meet regulatory standards is set to have significant elevation changes and difficult turns, which Verstappen termed as “amazing” when he visited Rwanda for the FIA Awards last month.
The project is estimated to cost around $270 million (£218 million). However, Rwandan officials argue the investment is justified, as it aligns with the country’s vision of boosting tourism—a sector that generated over $620 million (£501 million) in 2023.
The Rwanda Development Board sees Formula 1 as a strategic opportunity to further strengthen the nation’s global appeal.
Yet, despite Rwanda’s push to position itself as a major sports and tourism hub, critics have raised concerns over its geopolitical tensions and human rights record.
Some have labelled the bid as an attempt at “sportswashing”—using high-profile events to divert attention from political controversies.
