African Motorsport
Explore the racing circuits and off-road venues of Africa: from Kyalami and the Grand Prix history of South Africa to the Safari Rally in Kenya’s Rift Valley, the desert rally raids of Morocco and the Roof of Africa in the mountains of Lesotho.
Africa’s motorsport story runs from the South African Grand Prix, first held in East London in 1934, to the Safari Rally in Kenya and the desert crossings of the original Paris–Dakar. Jody Scheckter, born in East London, became Formula 1 world champion in 1979. Today South Africa has the continent’s main permanent circuits, while Kenya, Morocco and Lesotho host world championship rallies, rally raids and hard enduro.
This directory introduces eight circuits and off-road venues in six countries, chosen because they are active today and people regularly search for them. We have kept the list to venues that meet that bar, so it is shorter than for other regions. Each entry gives you the essentials at a glance: where it is, what kind of venue it is, how long a lap or route is and which major series race there. Detailed AutoGathering pages for each venue, covering history, layouts, events and visitor information, will be linked from here as they are published.
The venues are not ranked. They are grouped into circuits and off-road events and can be filtered by country, type and series, so the aim is discovery rather than a league table.
Four circuits and events with international profiles. They appear again in their sections below with full details.
Midrand, Gauteng · South Africa
Home of the South African Grand Prix 20 times and today of the Kyalami 9 Hours, Kyalami is at the centre of the country's bid to bring Formula 1 back.
Explore Circuit Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Naivasha, Nakuru County · Kenya
Kenya's Rift Valley classic, a World Rally Championship round again since 2021 and known for rocky tracks and fesh-fesh dust.
Explore Circuit Safari Rally Kenya
Tangier, Morocco to Dakar, Senegal
The rally raid that keeps the classic route to Dakar alive, from Morocco through Mauritania to Senegal.
Explore Circuit Africa Eco Race
Maseru · Lesotho
The Mother of Hard Enduro, first run in 1967 in the mountains of Lesotho and a world championship round in 2026.
Explore Circuit Roof of AfricaSouth Africa is home to the continent's main permanent racing circuits. Kyalami near Johannesburg is at the centre of the country's Formula 1 bid, Killarney sits within sight of Table Mountain in Cape Town, and East London and Welkom keep the links to South Africa's car and motorcycle Grand Prix history.
Midrand, Gauteng · South Africa
Opened in 1961 just north of Johannesburg, Kyalami hosted the South African Grand Prix 20 times, including the last Formula 1 race in Africa in 1993. Rebuilt on a revised layout in 2015, it hosts the Kyalami 9 Hours GT race, and in 2025 the FIA approved an upgrade to Grade 1 as South Africa bids to bring Formula 1 back.
Explore Circuit Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Cape Town, Western Cape · South Africa
Racing began at Killarney in 1947 on the northern edge of Cape Town, and Stirling Moss won the non-championship Cape Grand Prix here in 1960. With Table Mountain on the horizon, it hosts almost every form of motorsport, from club racing and motorcycles to drag racing, and it held World Rallycross rounds between 2017 and 2023.
Explore Circuit Killarney International Raceway
East London, Eastern Cape · South Africa
Close to the Indian Ocean in East London, the Prince George Circuit hosted the South African Grand Prix in 1934, from 1936 to 1939 and from 1960 to 1966, including the first Formula 1 World Championship race in Africa in 1962. Today it is home to the Border Motorsport Club and hosts regional and national car and motorcycle racing.
Explore Circuit Prince George Circuit
Welkom, Free State · South Africa
Built in 1999 in the Free State goldfields, Phakisa hosted the South African motorcycle Grand Prix from 1999 to 2004 and pairs its road course with the only banked oval in Africa. International racing has not returned since, and the circuit is now mostly used for testing and track days.
Explore Circuit Phakisa FreewayMuch of Africa's best-known motorsport happens away from circuits: the World Rally Championship's Safari Rally in Kenya, the rally raids that follow the old Dakar routes through Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, and the Roof of Africa hard enduro in the mountains of Lesotho.
Naivasha, Nakuru County · Kenya
First run in 1953, the Safari Rally was a World Rally Championship classic from 1973 to 2002 and returned in 2021. Based at Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, its rocky, rutted stages and fine fesh-fesh dust are notoriously rough, and Takamoto Katsuta took his first WRC win here in March 2026.
Explore Circuit Safari Rally KenyaTangier, Morocco to Dakar, Senegal
Launched after the 2008 Dakar Rally was cancelled, the Africa Eco Race keeps the classic route to Dakar alive, crossing Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal each January and February. The 2026 edition ran from Tangier to Dakar over 12 stages and more than 6,000 km for bikes, cars, side-by-sides and trucks.
Explore Circuit Africa Eco Race
Agadir to Zagora, Morocco
Run as a rally raid since 2000 and long used by teams as a final test before the Dakar, the Rallye du Maroc crosses the dunes and rocky pistes of southern Morocco. The 2026 edition is the fourth round of the World Rally-Raid Championship and runs from 28 September to 3 October between Agadir and Zagora.
Explore Circuit Rallye du MarocMaseru · Lesotho
First held in 1967 and known as the Mother of Hard Enduro, the Roof of Africa sends riders over the rocky mountain passes of the Lesotho highlands. In 2026 it joins the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, with racing from Maseru in late September.
Explore Circuit Roof of AfricaFilter all eight circuits and off-road venues by country, type and the major series linked to each one, or search by name, city or country.
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The circuits and venues on AutoGathering are connected to the championships and events that fill the African calendar. Counts reflect the entries in this directory linked to each discipline; schedules change from year to year.
South Africa hosted Formula 1 World Championship races from 1962 to 1993, first at East London and then at Kyalami. The country is bidding to bring the sport back, but no date has been agreed.
Phakisa Freeway hosted the South African motorcycle Grand Prix from 1999 to 2004, the last time the championship raced in Africa.
The Kyalami 9 Hours, first run in 1958, is South Africa's international GT race and brings teams from around the world to Johannesburg.
South Africa's circuits host national car and motorcycle championships alongside club racing, drag racing and track days.
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Killarney International Raceway, Prince George Circuit
Kenya's Safari Rally has been back on the WRC calendar since 2021, based at Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley.
The Africa Eco Race and the Rallye du Maroc keep desert rally raiding alive in North and West Africa, and the Roof of Africa is a round of the Hard Enduro World Championship.
Each circuit will have its own AutoGathering page covering its history, layout, major races, events, famous drivers, cars, visitor information, photographs and community discussions.
Racing circuits are more than pieces of asphalt. They are places where drivers, teams, manufacturers, photographers, spectators and automotive enthusiasts come together.
AutoGathering will connect each circuit with its own community discussions, so you can plan a race weekend, compare notes after a track day or find people heading to the same event.
South Africa has the continent's best-known permanent circuits: Kyalami near Johannesburg, Killarney in Cape Town, the Prince George Circuit in East London and Phakisa Freeway near Welkom. Much of Africa's best-known motorsport happens away from circuits, at events such as the Safari Rally in Kenya, the rally raids of Morocco and the Roof of Africa in Lesotho. This directory lists eight venues in total.
Africa has not hosted a Formula 1 race since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. In 2025 the FIA approved plans to upgrade Kyalami to the Grade 1 standard Formula 1 requires, but in February 2026 South Africa said there would be no race in 2027 while it works on funding for a bid. Rwanda and Morocco have also shown interest in hosting a race.
The Safari Rally is Kenya's round of the World Rally Championship. First held in 1953, it was part of the championship from 1973 to 2002 and returned in 2021. It is based at Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, and its rough, rocky stages and deep dust make it one of the most distinctive events on the calendar.
No. The Dakar Rally left Africa after the 2008 edition was cancelled, ran in South America from 2009 to 2019 and has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020. The Africa Eco Race still follows the classic route to Dakar, and the Rallye du Maroc is a round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
The Roof of Africa is a hard enduro motorcycle race in the mountains of Lesotho, first held in 1967 and often called the Mother of Hard Enduro. Riders tackle steep, rocky passes over several days, and in 2026 it became a round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
We only include venues that are active today and that people regularly search for. South Africa has other busy circuits, including Zwartkops, Red Star Raceway and the Aldo Scribante circuit, but search interest in them is much lower. The Marrakech street circuit in Morocco has not hosted international racing since Formula E left in 2022. More venues may be added as their profile grows.
Kyalami, Killarney and Phakisa all run track days, and Kyalami is also home to a Porsche Experience Centre offering driving experiences. Rules, licences and booking systems vary, so check each circuit's official website first.
Yes. The Safari Rally, the Rallye du Maroc and the Roof of Africa all have spectator areas along their routes, and the Africa Eco Race finishes in Dakar. Routes and access change every year, so check the official event websites before you travel.
From Kyalami to the dunes of Morocco, Africa’s circuits and off-road venues offer an incredible variety of motorsport experiences.
Explore the tracks, discover their history, follow upcoming events and connect with other enthusiasts on AutoGathering.
