The decision clears a major hurdle in South Africa’s push to bring F1 racing back to Africa for the first time since 1993.
Kyalami, which hosted a total of 21 Grands Prix, is currently certified as FIA Grade 2, meaning it is not eligible to host a race in its current form.
The proposed upgrade — which does not involve altering the 4.522km layout — focuses on enhancing run-off areas, barrier systems, kerbs, debris fencing, and drainage to meet the highest global safety standards.
Circuit owner Toby Venter said the upgrades marked the culmination of a long journey that had been five years in the making.
“This is a defining moment for South African motorsport,” Venter said. “When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we made a commitment to restore it not just as a world-class venue, but as a beacon for motorsport across the African continent.
“The FIA’s acceptance of our Grade 1 design is a major step forward in that journey.”
The upgrades will be led by UK-based Apex Circuit Design, the same firm behind the Miami Grand Prix circuit.
“This is a light-touch upgrade in engineering terms, but one that enhances the already excellent circuit standards to meet modern Grade 1 requirements,” Apex founder Clive Bowen explained.
The FIA’s approval grants Kyalami a three-year window to complete the required capital works.
Construction will be phased around existing commercial activity at the site, which operates year-round as a multifunctional venue for conferences, exhibitions, lifestyle events, and motorsport.
There have been renewed calls for Formula 1 to return to Africa — the only inhabited continent not currently hosting a Grand Prix — with Lewis Hamilton and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali vocal advocates for a race on the continent.
Domenicali said last month that talks were ongoing with proposed circuits in Cape Town, Rwanda, and Kyalami for an African return.
The announcement comes just a day after a proposed Grand Prix in Thailand received nearly $2 billion AUD in government funding to join the F1 calendar as early as 2028.
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