By Pascal Ndegwa - Reporter
Rwanda, October 13 ,2026 - Formula 1 is returning to Africa after more than three decades, with Rwanda set to host the African Grand Prix from the early 2030s. The sport has signed a 10-year agreement for the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, which will join the calendar once a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, south of Kigali, is completed.
It will be F1’s first race on African soil since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. The circuit will be built in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of the capital and near the planned new international airport. Formula 1 says construction is expected to finish early in the next decade, but it has not yet announced the inaugural race date, circuit milestones or race-weekend plans.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali described the agreement as “a landmark moment,” saying the sport will now race on every inhabited continent. Rwandan President Paul Kagame said the project is intended to create jobs, build skills, attract tourism and support new businesses, rather than simply stage a single race weekend.
More from Kenya
Rwanda announced its bid in December 2024, when it hosted an FIA gathering. The country will now need to deliver the circuit before the race can make its debut. For African motorsport fans, the deal ends a long wait for a home Grand Prix and places Rwanda at the centre of Formula 1’s next major expansion.