Gayton McKenzie promises F1 and UFC are on SA’s horizon

Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie has assured the nation that his department are in continuing talks with the major stakeholders of both Formula One and the UFC, as government intensifies their efforts to bring those respective events to the country as soon as possible.

South Africa have not hosted an F1 GP since 1993.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been a handful of false dawns regarding the SA GP returning to the race calendar, but none have come to fruition.

Liberty Media, who owns F1, have previously stated that they want a GP on every continent, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has stressed in recent weeks that the sport can no longer “ignore Africa”.

Independent Newspapers understands that major financial assurances are required from South African stakeholders – including government, sponsors and Motorsport South Africa – to the FIA to host such an event.

Kyalami, meanwhile, has a FIA Grade 2 rating. To host a GP – for F1 and MotoGP – the track requires a Grade 1 rating.

Yesterday, while speaking on a range of issues on the occasion of his 100 days in office, McKenzie addressed the current state of South Africa’s bid to host a F1 event, revealing a belief that the country could do so as soon as 2026.

McKenzie also revealed that sponsorship of the event, from a financial point of view, is not a block to hosting a GP.

“It has fallen flat because of the politicians and billionaires in this country... they started fighting,” McKenzie explained regarding the recent failed bids.

“I told them to back off and that I am the Minister of Sport, so let me talk.

“I have met the leadership of F1 and I have met the president of the FIA (Mohammed Ben Sulayem) and I told them, we would like to host the F1. They said they need certain letters within the next 30 days. Within eight hours of my meeting with them, they received those letters…

“We are meeting them at the end of next month, when they will give us a list and when we need to pay certain things. There are two banks in South Africa and there are companies that want to get involved. The issue is not money.

“I look at 2026, but more the 2027 calendar,” he added.

“We are not the only country that wants it – Morocco wants it and Rwanda wants it – but they don’t have a track yet. Big announcements are going to be made about our track very soon.”

Regarding the UFC, the title reign of middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has opened the South African market to host his next title defence.

It is understood that although UFC’s CEO and president Dana White is keen on such an event, it requires a roofed arena large enough to host the bout.

Currently, the country has no venue that meets those requirements. Temporary structures have been suggested at Cape Town Stadium and FNB Stadium.

“At the end of this month,” McKenzie said, “we are meeting White… We are going to meet with the UFC to make sure that the Dricus fight comes to South Africa.

“We are going to negotiate. We have been talking to them for three months and they have been asking us a million questions… I will come back at the end of the month, hopefully, with good news from my trip to Abu Dhabi.”

McKenzie once again confirmed that Sun City will host the FIA-FIM co-sanctioned World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) from May 18-23 next year.

For clarity, the W2RC must not be confused with the elite FIA-sanctioned World Rally Championship.

Nevertheless, McKenzie promised that the W2RC event “was only the beginning”, and that it would be the “biggest motor sporting event that we’ve had in this country”.