Formula 1 Returns to Africa With Rwanda Grand Prix Deal

Formula One is returning to Africa for the first time in more than three decades. Rwanda has been granted a 10-year contract to host a Grand Prix starting in the early 2030s.

The event will be called the Formula 1 African Grand Prix and will be presented by Visit Rwanda, the country’s tourism-promotion brand. F1 chief Stefano Domenicali described the agreement as a landmark moment.

“showing the world what it means to be a country that has a vision”

For President Paul Kagame, the race offers an opportunity to attract more visitors and investment and raise Rwanda’s global profile. Kagame has led the East African nation for decades.

Rwanda has built its international profile through sports partnerships for years. Its Visit Rwanda campaign has worked with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich. Arsenal’s eight-season partnership ended in June 2026, while PSG’s agreement runs through 2028. Bayern shifted its deal toward youth development in Kigali after facing criticism.

In July, English Premier League club Aston Villa signed a multi-year Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal reportedly worth around £20 million, or roughly $26.8 million, per year. Human rights campaigners, including Amnesty International UK, have spoken out against the agreement.

Critics have described such partnerships as sportswashing. Rwanda’s alleged support for M23 rebels in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo has also raised questions about the image the country hopes to project.

Human rights groups have criticized Rwanda’s use of sports to promote itself internationally, citing concerns about repression at home and the government’s treatment of political opponents, journalists and other critics.