South Africa is targeting a return to the Formula One calendar for 2027, sports minister Gayton McKenzie has revealed.
F1 has not raced in Africa since 1993 but CEO Stefano Domenicali has stated it is a long-held ambition of the sport to return to the only continent they currently fail to race in.
Rwanda, which hosts the FIA prize-giving gala tonight, is keen on hosting a race but the Kyalami Circuit – just outside Johannesburg – which held the previous iteration of the South African Grand Prix is also looking at the prospect of hosting a race again.
McKenzie has held talks with F1 chiefs in recent months and told SuperSport that plans are in motion to bring South Africa back to the calendar.
“Let me tell you, when I announced that my term would be a failure if we don’t bring F1, then everybody laughed because South Africans underestimate themselves,” he said.
“I said, ‘I’m going to start the work’. My team, we put in the work, made the calls, we met with F1 twice
“Where we are at the moment, and it’s the first time people hear this, we are going to announce a committee next week. The committee will then choose which promoter will promote F1, it’s going to happen.”
Negotiations had been ongoing for some time when Domenicali visited the Kyalami Circuit in 2022. The track, which has FIA Grade 2 status, would need to improve to Grade 1 level to host F1, meaning an upgrade of spectator facilities, run-off areas and an official sign-off from the FIA.
"The race is going to happen at Kyalami,” McKenzie added. “Kyalami is doing what they need to do. [Circuit bosses] Toby Venter and Willie Venter and are doing a great job bringing Kyalami to F1 standards. They have put money in there, it is there.
"They have met with Apex, that is doing the track to bring it to F1 standards. We are making sure that we are going to host, so I think we looking at 2027. We were there, it’s going to happen. It’s coming here."
The axing of the Dutch Grand Prix after 2026 means there is a spot open on the schedule for 2027 and beyond.
The long-term futures of Imola and Barcelona, with the addition of Madrid from 2026, could also open up another spot on the schedule with South Korea, Thailand and Argentina also interested in joining the schedule.
