A private consortium named Blue Mountain Racing (BMR) has announced plans to build a new FIA Grade 1 and FIM Grade A circuit outside Cape Town, with the aim of bringing back Formula 1 racing to South Africa by 2031. Africa is the only continent currently without F1.
The 600-hectare site in the Swartland area north of Cape Town was secured in April 2026. The project is being developed as a privately funded venture involving South African business leaders and international motorsport professionals.
The circuit is being designed to FIA Grade 1 standards from the outset, with between 4.5km and 5.5km, a 600m pit straight, a full-throttle kilometer run and natural elevation change built into the layout rather than engineered around it. Building on open ground outside the city was a deliberate choice for the project, as a permanent venue gives designers the length, width, elevation and run-off a street circuit cannot and avoids the months of civic disruption and public cost that temporary city circuits impose.
South Africa showcase
South Africa last hosted a grand prix in 1993 at Kyalami racetrack, outside of Johannesburg. BMR’s plans are centerd on Cape Town, with the city’s international profile and tourism appeal cited as factors in the proposed return of Formula 1 to South Africa.
The project has received extensive interest and in-principle support from a number of major South African companies which see this as an opportunity for catalytic economic development and showcasing South Africa on one of the biggest global platforms.
Cape Town and the Western Cape have experience hosting major international sporting events across a range of disciplines. The region hosts the Cape Town Cycle Tour, the world’s largest timed cycling event, and became the first African host of an Abbott World Marathon Major in 2026. Cape Town also hosted matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and regularly stages international rugby, cricket and football fixtures.
Europe remains Formula 1’s largest television market by audience, sponsorship value and broadcast revenue. Cape Town is two hours ahead of Central European Time, enabling broadcast during prime time in major European markets.
BMR is headed by Neal Froneman, founding chief executive of Sibanye-Stillwater, which he built into a major precious metals producer employing around 75,000 people. He is also a former chair of the World Gold Council. BMR chief executive Bobby Hartslief has more than four decades of experience in international motorsport, including managing and promoting Formula 1 and MotoGP events.
“Cape Town is served by a large international airport with direct connections to Europe, the United States and the Gulf, and a nearby port for cruise liners. It offers world-class hospitality and is set against a backdrop of the iconic Table Mountain, the peninsula’s stunning beaches, and its nearby winelands. These are assets that no circuit designer could ever manufacture,” said Froneman.
An automotive hub
The track will be the first component of a year-round precinct planned to include conference facilities, an amphitheatre, a 50-hectare waterfront, a mixed-use commercial area, hotels and residential units. The development will also include an automotive hub with research and technology facilities for manufacturers and teams, a driving academy, an automotive skills development program and a karting pathway for young people from the surrounding area.
With the site secured, BMR is now engaging Formula 1 and MotoGP’s commercial and sporting authorities while rezoning, environmental assessment and design finalization are carried out up to 2028. Construction is planned to start in 2029, with FIA and FIM homologation and proving events slated to take place in early 2030, ahead of an inaugural grand prix in 2031.
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