Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Kyalami is the hilly, high-altitude racetrack between Johannesburg and Pretoria that hosted the South African Grand Prix and, in 1993, the last Formula 1 race in Africa so far. Rebuilt in 2016 on a new layout, it’s now home to the Nine Hours of Kyalami, a 24-hour GT race in January 2027 and South Africa’s push to bring F1 back. Here’s the name, the history, a lap corner by corner, the records, what races there and how to visit.
Kyalami at a Glance
Length 4.522 km / 2.810 mi current layout, raced since 2016
Turns 16 10 lefts and 6 rights, run anticlockwise
Altitude 1,532 m / 5,026 ft thin air costs engines and wings real performance
Opened November 4, 1961 with a nine-hour sports car race
Location & owner Midrand, Gauteng owned by Porsche South Africa boss Toby Venter since 2014
Lap record 1:40.120 Charl Michael Visser, Nova Proto NP02, 2025
What Does Kyalami Mean?
Kyalami comes from the Zulu phrase “khaya lami,” which loosely means “my home.” The track gave its name to the area around it, so today Kyalami is also a suburb of Midrand, and when people in Johannesburg say they’re “going to Kyalami” they could mean either. Officially it’s the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, and unlike a lot of tracks it doesn’t carry a sponsor’s name.
The name traveled, too. Maserati called its 1970s grand tourer the Kyalami after Pedro Rodríguez won the 1967 South African Grand Prix here in a Cooper-Maserati. And plenty of the corner names have local roots: Jukskei is a river (and a traditional Afrikaner game), Leeukop is Afrikaans for “lion’s head,” and Ingwe is the Zulu word for leopard.
Since July 2014 the circuit has belonged to Toby Venter, the businessman behind Porsche South Africa, who bought it at auction for R205 million and then spent around R100 million rebuilding it.
Kyalami History
Kyalami was laid out in the countryside north of Johannesburg, designed by Harry Pierce and Dick Bremner, and it opened with an endurance race rather than a Grand Prix. It then spent two decades as one of F1’s regular stops, survived the apartheid-era boycott years, got cut down and reversed when the land around it grew more valuable, and was nearly lost altogether before a private buyer saved it.
- 1961 The track opens on November 4 with a nine-hour sports car race, won by John Love and Dawie Gous in a Porsche 550 Spyder. The non-championship Rand Grand Prix follows in December.
- 1967 The Formula 1 South African Grand Prix moves here from East London’s Prince George Circuit. Pedro Rodríguez wins the first one in a Cooper-Maserati, and the track is widened the following year.
- 1975 Jody Scheckter wins in a Tyrrell, still the only South African to win his home Grand Prix.
- 1977 The darkest day in the track’s history: Tom Pryce and young marshal Frederik Jansen van Vuuren are killed when Pryce’s Shadow hits the marshal as he crosses the track.
- 1982 Drivers go on strike over new superlicence terms and lock themselves in a hotel before the race. A deal is struck, and Alain Prost wins despite losing a wheel.
- 1985 The Grand Prix runs during South Africa’s state of emergency, with Ligier and Renault staying home under a French government ban. Nigel Mansell leads a Williams one-two, and F1 doesn’t return for seven years.
- 1988 The last race on the original layout. Part of the land is sold for development, and the circuit reopens in 1989 on a shorter layout that runs the opposite way.
- 1992–93 F1 comes back. Mansell wins in 1992, and on March 14, 1993, Prost wins a rain-hit race in a Williams-Renault, the last Formula 1 Grand Prix in Africa to date.
- 1998–2010 Two-wheel and international single-seater years: World Superbike visits from 1998 to 2002 and again in 2009 and 2010, and A1 Grand Prix races here in 2009.
- 2014 With the track at risk of being redeveloped, Toby Venter buys it at a no-reserve auction on July 24 for R205 million.
- 2016 After a rebuild of about R100 million, with a longer main straight and new corners such as the Crocodiles and Crowthorne, the circuit reopens for racing in October.
- 2019 The Kyalami 9 Hours returns after 37 years as a round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, won by a Frikadelli Porsche 911 GT3 R.
- 2023 The last international 9 Hours runs in February, won by a WRT BMW M4 GT3. From December the race carries on as the finale of the South African Endurance Series.
- 2025 In June the FIA approves the design for upgrading Kyalami to Grade 1, the level needed for Formula 1, and in September the national Cabinet backs a bid for a South African Grand Prix.
- 2026 F1 announces its 2027 calendar in September without South Africa. The government says the Kyalami bid continues, now aiming for 2028 or 2029.
Racing at Altitude: What Makes Kyalami Different
Kyalami’s big quirk isn’t one corner; it’s the air. At over 1,500 meters, a naturally aspirated engine loses a noticeable chunk of power and every wing on the car works a little less hard. That’s why turbocharged F1 cars had such an edge here in the 1980s, and why teams still have to rethink gearing, cooling and downforce when they arrive.
1,532 m
Above sea level
Kyalami sits about 5,026 feet up on the Highveld, nearly as high as Denver.
~14%
Less dense air
At that height the air is roughly 14% thinner than at sea level, so engines breathe less and wings make less downforce.
1:08.149
The turbo-era benchmark
Keke Rosberg’s 1985 race lap in a turbocharged Williams on the old, shorter layout is still the fastest F1 lap ever set at Kyalami.
The rest of the character comes from the ground itself. The 2016 layout drops steeply into Mineshaft, climbs back up to the finish line and throws in fast, committing corners such as the Kink and Cheetah, with gravel traps that punish a mistake rather than let you off with a shrug. The current layout keeps a few stretches of the original track (Sunset, Clubhouse and the Esses), so a lap mixes old Kyalami with new.
Kyalami Track Guide: A Lap, Corner by Corner
The current Kyalami runs anticlockwise over 4.522 km with 16 corners. The lap splits into a fast first sector through the Kink and Crowthorne, a twisty middle section on the line of the old track, and a dramatic final third that dives through Mineshaft and climbs back to the finish. Here’s how it goes, using the corner names on the circuit map.
T1
The Kink
You arrive off the longest straight on the lap, about 900 meters, and the track drops away into a fast bend. In most cars it’s flat out, so the job is simply to place the car for the braking zone that follows.
T2
Crowthorne
A hard stop for a tight left. The spectator bank here looks over nearly half of the circuit, and it’s one of the main places to pass.
T3–4
Jukskei Sweep
A descending right-left pair. Get the first part right and you carry speed through the second; rush it and the car is wrong-footed all the way through.
T5
Barbeque
The tight turn at the far end of the lap, where the new section rejoins the line of the old track and sends you back down the other side.
T6
Sunset
One of the stretches carried over from the original circuit. It sets you up for the climb toward Clubhouse, so exit speed matters more than entry speed.
T7
Clubhouse
Another original name. You turn at the top and the track starts to fall away toward the Esses.
T8–9
The Esses
A quick change of direction where smooth hands pay off. Clip the curbs too hard and the car gets light just when you need it settled.
T10–11
Leeukop and the hairpin
The lap’s far western end: Leeukop leads into a slow hairpin that turns you back toward the pits. Brake in a straight line and focus on a clean exit.
T12
Mineshaft
A steep drop into a fast left-hand sweep. It’s the most dramatic bit of elevation on the lap, and you need commitment and a calm right foot.
T13
The Crocodiles
Built in the 2016 rebuild at the end of a long run, with a wide entry that gives you room to try a move. Expect a lot of side-by-side racing here.
T14–15
Cheetah
A very fast sweep that rewards bravery. Lift too much and you lose time all the way to the line; carry too much and the gravel is waiting.
T16
Ingwe
Named with the Zulu word for leopard, this slow turn sends you onto the main straight, which climbs uphill toward the finish line. A good exit pays off all the way to the Kink.
Kyalami Lap Records
Kyalami has run on several different layouts, so its records come in sets. Only race laps count as official, and the current 2016 layout hasn’t seen a Formula 1 car in anger yet. Here are the numbers people ask about most, from the current lap record to the F1 times from the old days.
1:40.120
Outright lap record
Charl Michael Visser set the fastest race lap on the current layout in a Nova Proto NP02 during the 2025 4 Hours of Kyalami.
1:41.425
GT3 benchmark
Michael Stephen holds the GT3 lap record in an Audi R8 LMS GT3, set at the 2023 Festival of Motoring races.
1:47.562
Superbike record
Clinton Seller set this on a Kawasaki ZX-10R in the 2024 ZX10 Masters.
1:08.149
Fastest F1 lap ever
Keke Rosberg in a Williams FW10 in 1985, on the shorter 4.104 km original layout that no longer exists.
Races and Events at Kyalami
Kyalami hasn’t hosted Formula 1 since 1993, but it’s busy. Endurance racing is the headline act, national championships and club meetings fill most weekends, and manufacturers use the track for driving experiences and launches. Here’s what usually runs, with the latest dates for reference.
November
Nine Hours of Kyalami
SA Endurance Series Endurance
The race that opened the track in 1961 is still its biggest. It was an Intercontinental GT Challenge round from 2019 to 2023 and is now the finale of the South African Endurance Series, with prototypes and GT3 cars. The 2026 race is set for November 13–14.
January
Michelin 24H Kyalami
24H Series GT racing
The 24H Series brings its first race in Africa to Kyalami on January 8–10, 2027, with GT and touring cars racing through the night. It’s the first international endurance race here since 2023.
Most of the year
National racing
GTC Polo SupaCup
South Africa’s national championships visit regularly, including the Global Touring Cars (GTC) series, the Volkswagen Polo SupaCup, Formula 1600 and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup. Exact 2026 and 2027 round dates come from the series calendars.
Through the season
Superbikes
ZX10 Masters Former World Superbike
National superbike racing keeps Kyalami’s two-wheel history alive. World Superbike raced here from 1998 to 2002 and again in 2009 and 2010, and motorcycle Grands Prix visited in 1983–85 and 1992.
August
Festival of Motoring
Festival of Motoring Car show
South Africa’s motor show moved to the track, with test drives, hot laps and a 4×4 area instead of static stands. The 2026 edition ran August 28–30 with 21 brands.
Kyalami Race Calendar: 2026 and 2027
These are the big public weekends at Kyalami. National championship rounds, club races and track days fill many other weekends, and those dates come from the individual series. Dates marked TBA haven’t been announced yet, so check the circuit’s own calendar before you book.
2026 season
| Dates | Event | Series | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28–30 | Festival of Motoring | Motor show, test drives, hot laps | Done |
| Nov 13–14 | Nine Hours of Kyalami | SA Endurance Series finale | Upcoming |
2027 season
| Dates | Event | Series | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8–10 | Michelin 24H Kyalami | 24H Series | Upcoming |
| TBA | Festival of Motoring | Motor show, test drives, hot laps | Date TBA |
| TBA | Nine Hours of Kyalami | SA Endurance Series | Date TBA |
| Not on 2027 calendar | South African Grand Prix | Formula 1 (bid targets 2028–29) | TBA |
Kyalami Weather by Season
Kyalami’s Highveld climate is sunny and mild, with summer rain and dry winters. The figures below are typical Johannesburg averages, which match conditions at the track closely. One thing catches visitors out: at this altitude the sun is fierce from October to March, so sunscreen and a hat matter even on cool days.
26°C / 79°F
Summer · Dec–Feb
Highs around 26°C (79°F) and lows of 14–15°C (57–59°F). This is the rainy season: afternoon thunderstorms, sometimes with hail, roll in on 10–14 days a month, so a dry morning session can turn into a wet afternoon. Keep that in mind for the January 24-hour race.
20–25°C / 68–77°F
Autumn · Mar–May
Highs drop from about 25°C (77°F) to 20°C (68°F), with lows from 13°C (55°F) down to 6°C (43°F). Rain fades quickly through April and May, which makes this a pleasant time to visit.
17–20°C / 63–68°F
Winter · Jun–Aug
Dry, sunny days with highs of 17–20°C (63–68°F), but nights fall to 3–5°C (37–41°F) and early mornings can be frosty. Bring a warm jacket for the start of the day.
23–25°C / 73–77°F
Spring · Sep–Nov
Highs of 23–25°C (73–77°F) and lows of 9–13°C (48–55°F). The storms come back by November, so the Nine Hours can see both heat and rain.
Visiting Kyalami: Where to Watch and Getting There
Kyalami is a compact, modern venue, so you can see a lot from a few spots, and the pit building has proper hospitality areas. Tickets are sold per event through the organizers’ ticketing partners, and many national race meetings are cheap or even free to attend, so check the event page before you go.
Where to watch
- Crowthorne. The circuit says its spectator area here sees nearly half the track, and it sits at a heavy braking zone where passes happen.
- Main straight and pit building. Watch starts and pit stops from the main grandstand side, with paddock access at many national events.
- The Crocodiles. The wide entry makes this the place for side-by-side racing late in a stint.
- Mineshaft. Head here to see how much elevation the lap really has, as cars drop into the fast left.
Getting there
The circuit is at the corner of the R55 and Allandale Road in Kyalami, Midrand, close to the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria. The nearest Gautrain station is Midrand, and at big events such as the Festival of Motoring there are shuttles from the station and from Mall of Africa. OR Tambo International is the main airport for international visitors, and Lanseria is another option for domestic flights.
Tips
Arrive early on big race days, since traffic on the R55 builds fast. Pack sunscreen and a hat year-round because of the altitude, add a rain jacket in summer when afternoon storms are common, and bring warm layers for winter mornings and night sessions at the endurance races.
Can You Drive Kyalami?
Yes, though mostly through organized programs rather than open public track days. BMW and Audi both run their South African driving experiences at Kyalami, mixing track time with skidpan and advanced-driving training. Porsche South Africa runs owner training on the circuit, from sighting laps to guided driving, by invitation through its Johannesburg and Pretoria dealers. At the Festival of Motoring, brands also offer hot laps and test drives.
Club and organizer track days do run on some weekdays and weekends, so if you want to bring your own car, check the circuit’s calendar and the local car clubs for open dates.
If you want to learn the lap first, Kyalami is in plenty of games and sims: Assetto Corsa Competizione (Intercontinental GT Pack), Automobilista 2, Forza Motorsport (2023), RIDE 4, Assetto Corsa EVO and Project Motor Racing all include it.
Talk Kyalami With Other Enthusiasts
Heading to the 24-hour race, booking a driving experience or following the F1 bid? Share what you know, ask questions and find people going the same weekend in the AutoGathering community.
- Nine Hours of Kyalami
- Michelin 24H Kyalami
- Best viewing spots
- Driving experiences
- South African F1 bid
- National racing
- Sim racing lap times
- Festival of Motoring
Kyalami FAQ
Where is Kyalami?
Kyalami is in Midrand, Gauteng, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, at the corner of the R55 and Allandale Road near the N1.
How long is the Kyalami circuit?
The current layout, raced since 2016, is 4.522 km (2.810 miles) long with 16 corners, and it runs anticlockwise.
What does Kyalami mean?
It comes from the Zulu phrase “khaya lami,” which loosely means “my home.”
When was the last Formula 1 race at Kyalami?
The 1993 South African Grand Prix, won by Alain Prost in a Williams-Renault. It was also the last F1 race held in Africa.
Will Formula 1 return to Kyalami?
Not in 2027, because South Africa isn’t on the 2027 calendar. The government says its bid continues and is targeting 2028 or 2029, but nothing has been announced.
Is Kyalami an FIA Grade 1 circuit?
Not yet. It holds an FIA Grade 2 licence, and the FIA approved the design for a Grade 1 upgrade in June 2025. The full work depends on South Africa securing a Grand Prix.
Who owns Kyalami?
Toby Venter, the businessman behind Porsche South Africa, who bought the circuit at auction in July 2014.
What is the lap record at Kyalami?
The outright lap record on the current layout is 1:40.120, set by Charl Michael Visser in a Nova Proto NP02 in 2025. The fastest F1 lap ever at Kyalami was Keke Rosberg’s 1:08.149 in 1985 on the old, shorter layout.
Explore More Racing Circuits
Kyalami is one of eight venues in our African racing directory. If you’re in Gauteng, Phakisa Freeway in Welkom is a few hours’ drive away, and Cape Town’s Killarney hosts another round of the South African Endurance Series.
Photo credits
- Header image: Ossewa, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- A1 Grand Prix single-seaters racing at Kyalami…: Axel Bührmann, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped and resized.
- A 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 R, the…: BrokenGearbox, CC BY 4.0, cropped and resized.
- A Mercedes-AMG GT4 racing in the 24H…: Poppo154, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen Polo one-make race cars in a…: Gerald Ferreira, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- A BMW superbike at the World Superbike…: Hein waschefort, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- Ferraris on track during a Ferrari owners…: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- Track map of the current Kyalami Grand…: Dr Enslin, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.