Over thirty years since the last edition held in 1993, South Africa is decisively advancing its project to bring Formula 1 back to the country—and to the African continent at large. Last month, the Kyalami circuit began the process to obtain Grade 1 certification from the FIA, and now further updates have come directly from Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture.
In an interview with SuperSport, Gayton McKenzie confirmed Kyalami as the venue for the event and shared significant developments: “Let me say this: when I announced that my term would be a failure if we didn’t bring F1 to South Africa, everyone laughed because South Africans tend to underestimate themselves,” he stated. “I said, ‘I will start the work,’ and my team delivered, meeting with F1 twice. Now, for the first time, I can announce that we will establish a committee next week. This committee will select the promoter, and the race will be held at Kyalami.” – he pointed out.
South Africa continues negotiations with Liberty Media and the FIA, alongside Apex-led upgrades to the circuit that could bring the Grand Prix back to the calendar. Gayton McKenzie added: “Kyalami is doing what needs to be done. Toby and Willie Venter (the circuit’s directors) are doing excellent work to bring Kyalami to F1 standards. They have invested money into this project and are working with Apex, which is upgrading the track to meet F1 requirements. We are ensuring we can host the Grand Prix, and I believe we’re looking at 2027. It’s coming.” – South Africa’s Minister of Sport concluded.
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