As 2025 draws to a close, racing fans will be pleased to know that Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit already has approval from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to upgrade the track as South Africa looks to host an F1 Grand Prix event in the near future.
Those upgrades, though, won’t come cheap as it will cost Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit between US$ 5 (R83 million) and 10 million (R167 million).
There has been speculation for the last few years that F1 will return to South Africa for the first time since 1993.
This move has even been backed by F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, and more recently, SA Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie has made it his mission to see the sport return to the country during his tenure.
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit Upgrades: Government Funding Preferred for FIA Grade One Circuit
Speaking to IOL, Christo Kruger, Public Relations Manager at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, said: “To upgrade Kyalami is going to be between five and 10 million US dollars to do the upgrades to an FIA grade one circuit.”
While the SA government putting up the money for the upgrades is likely the preferred option, explained Kruger.
“The government would have to come up with the money, yes, because Formula One would want a guarantee from the government to say that they’re going to be here for two, three, five, 10 … however many years the contract is signed for.
“And then they want their hosting fee guaranteed by the government, not by another private entity because the private entity can change fortunes.”
Kyalami Circuit Upgrades Underway: F1 Return to South Africa Delayed Until 2028
The upgrades to Kyalami have already begun, even though F1 won’t be coming to SA in 2026.
“The approval process is already done; the FIA has approved plans for Kyalami to be upgraded to a grade one circuit from its current grade two circuit status.”
“That did take a while to get that process going, and we have a period of three years before we need to actually complete all these upgrades for a Formula One to be hosted at Kyalami. They will be done systematically as and when we don’t have the circuit hired out to somebody else, for example.
“It’s a logistical thing. We have already started with some of the upgrades; it’s just how we incorporate them without interrupting the normal course of business with other events going on at Kyalami.”
With these upgrades in mind, and how long they will take to complete, even 2027 might be a tad optimistic to have an F1 event in SA. In fact, the current schedule is packed and one of the venues would still have to fall away before South Africa could even be considered.
“Portugal has just been appointed as a host country for Formula One for 2026 and 2027. So they’ve got a two-year deal with Portugal already.
“So the earliest we could have a race in South Africa would be 2028.”
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
