South Africa GP, not just Kyalami: proposal for a street circuit in Cape Town emerges. South Africa: a new street circuit is trying to join the F1 calendar.

South Africa wants a GP on the F1 calendar
The words of South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie have reignited the passion for motorsport in the country. Now, the nation strongly believes in the opportunity to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix as soon as possible, ending a drought lasting over 30 years. While the last F1 GP in South Africa, and in Africa in general, took place in 1993 at Kyalami, it is not certain that only the permanent track, located about 30 km north of Johannesburg and south of Pretoria, will be proposed for a potential return of the F1 paddock. Cape Town is also vying for a future Grand Prix, with plans to set up a street circuit around the Cape Town Stadium, which hosted some matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Cape Town or Kyalami?
The permanent Kyalami circuit was recently modernized and its facilities renovated to meet FIA safety standards, and it would theoretically be ready to host a South African F1 GP. However, it’s undeniable that the recent trend under Liberty Media has been to bring races into cities, with easily accessible circuits for fans on foot or via public transport. The latest example is Madrid, which will host the Spanish GP for ten years starting in 2026. According to many local newspapers, the authorities are also considering Cape Town’s bid, rather than focusing solely on Kyalami.

Circuit features
The proposed layout could partly resemble the street circuit used for the 2023 Cape Town E-Prix, won by local Porsche driver Antonio Felix Da Costa. The circuit used for the electric single-seater championship was 2.9 km long, while the one proposed for F1 would stretch to 5.7 km, still running around the stadium located in the coastal Green Point district. This wouldn’t be the first time Cape Town has put forward a proposal to host F1. Back in 2007, a promotional committee at the time had suggested building a circuit near Cape Town International Airport, about 20 km from the Green Point area.

Next steps for the South African GP
The next steps will be for the South African government to decide which of the two bids—Kyalami or Cape Town—to support and then submit a formal proposal to Liberty Media for the return of Formula 1. In a recent interview, Minister McKenzie explicitly mentioned the goal of 2027, acknowledging that Kyalami has a significant advantage, as the track is already ready and has a decent motorsport tradition, both in organizing international races and local events.

South Africa will also need to overcome competition from Rwanda, a country increasingly interested in boosting its image through sports, which recently hosted the FIA end-of-year awards ceremony. It is possible that one of the two candidates could alternate with Spa, which has renewed its agreement until 2031 but announced a rotation with other tracks (yet to be confirmed) in 2028 and 2030.