South Africa’s F1 dreams might be coming sooner than expected!

Updated March 6, 2026, 9:11 a.m. | By Skyye Ndlovu

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed that the F1 hosting fees have been secured and the talks have begun. Here’s what we know so far.

Kyalami GP Circuit / @MatthewKanniah / X

South Africa… start your engines!

According to News24, our long-awaited Formula 1 comeback might be closer than we think!

This time, it’s not just wishful thinking.

Let’s break it down properly.

ALSO READ: The race to bring Formula 1 to SA just got more intense

What is happening?

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has confirmed that his department will soon sit down with Formula 1 executives to discuss the possibility of South Africa joining the championship calendar.

The talks come as rising tensions in the Middle East place some current race destinations under scrutiny.

Three current Formula 1 host nations, namely Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have been affected by growing regional instability following military exchanges involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Nothing has officially been cancelled, but speculation is growing that if the situation escalates, the F1 calendar could be reshuffled.

If that happens, countries waiting patiently on the sidelines (like South Africa) could suddenly get their shot.

McKenzie made it clear though: “We don’t plan on other people’s misfortune. We are sticking to our plan.”

Translation: We’re ready either way.

When will we know more?

According to McKenzie, discussions with Formula 1 officials are scheduled within the next few weeks.

“We will only know that in three weeks when we meet with F1 again,” he said.

Originally, South Africa hoped to host a race by 2027.

That timeline has since shifted to somewhere between 2028 and 2029, mainly due to the complexity and massive cost of hosting a modern Grand Prix.

Which brings us to the big question…

How is this being funded?

Hosting Formula 1 is not cheap. Not even “we’ll sell boerewors rolls at the gate” cheap.

This is where things get serious.

According to McKenzie, the private sector has pledged more than R1.7 billion, while the government guarantee amounts to R2.1 billion.

Companies backing the bid include:

Betway
Discovery
MTN
Canal+
SuperSport

Each has reportedly pledged between R200 million and R300 million.

For context: F1 requires a government-backed financial guarantee in case the race promoter or sponsors fall short. In this case, that safety net is R2.1 billion.

McKenzie says the most important hurdle, which is securing the money, has already been cleared.

That’s a massive step.

ALSO READ: Kyalami’s Formula 1 comeback dream is alive

Where would the race be held?

Two major proposals are under consideration:

Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit

This is the historic option, aka, the heritage pick. It’s the “we’ve done this before” location.

F1 last raced in South Africa in 1993 and Kyalami carries that legacy.

Cape Town Street Race

This is an ambitious street circuit proposal in Cape Town, similar to Monaco or Singapore-style city racing.

For a long time, Kyalami looked like the obvious choice, but McKenzie says Cape Town has submitted a very strong bid.

“Previously we got very weak bids,” he admitted. “But the bid we got from Cape Town is very strong. Kyalami’s bid is strong.”

To ensure fairness and proper evaluation, a dedicated Formula 1 Local Organising Committee will be announced in the coming weeks to decide which bid moves forward.