Why Formula 1 Left Africa After South Africa’s Last Grand Prix in 1993
Formula 1 could return to Africa through a proposed Grand Prix near Kigali, Rwanda. Reports say a new circuit near Bugesera International Airport is being considered, although no official agreement or debut date has been confirmed. Africa last hosted an F1 race on 14 March 1993, when Alain Prost won at Kyalami in South Africa. The sport had earlier withdrawn from the country amid international opposition to apartheid, returning briefly in 1992 as apartheid was being dismantled. The 1993 race ended South Africa’s F1 run because of financial difficulties and the arrest of the event promoter on fraud charges. Since then, efforts to restore a South African Grand Prix have faced infrastructure, funding and political obstacles. Rwanda announced its interest in hosting F1 in 2024 as part of a wider sports and tourism strategy. If the plan succeeds, it would mark Formula 1’s first African race in almost four decades.
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