Rwanda is pushing ahead with its bid to be added to the lucrative Formula 1 race calendar as part of a wider drive to double down on sports events as a central plank of its economic growth plan.
Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told Semafor Africa Rwanda is still in talks with Formula 1 concerning its bid to host the sport’s first race in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix. He said Rwandan authorities were working with other countries that already host races to learn from their experiences.
“We’re interested — it would be a good thing for the sport itself and Rwanda,” he said. “We have demonstrated the capacity to host big sporting events.”
Nduhungirehe, in a wide-ranging interview, said that multimillion-dollar investments in facilities, partnerships with sports federations, and sponsorship deals with top European football teams including England’s Arsenal and France’s Paris St Germain was driving tourism.
Rwanda will host the cycling world road championships next year. It has also partnered with the NBA’s Basketball Africa League, hosting key games at the BK Arena in the capital, Kigali.
Nduhungirehe said the focus on hosting major sporting events helped to drive tourism revenue, which stood at $636 million in 2023 — a 36% increase on the previous year. Rwandan officials said tourism revenue in 2024 already stood at $448 million in September.
