SA to hold a ‘critical‘ meeting with Formula 1 in two weeks
16 July 2025
South African Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has revealed that a significant meeting is set to take place in the next two weeks with representatives from Formula 1 (F1).
The Kyalami Grand Prix has been granted permission to modify its design, paving the way for a potential return of F1 to the country.
“Many laughed when I uttered the words ‘Formula 1 must come back to South Africa'. One man in particular, who didn’t laugh was Toby Venter, the owner of the Kyalami racetrack.
“When I told him that government doesn’t have the money to host Formula 1 because of other more urgent priorities and we would not be able to help him pay for the track to reach F1 standards, he looked me in the eye and said he would see it [as] his patriotic duty to do just that.
“We have had multiple meetings with the management of F1, with a crucial one happening in the next two weeks.“
The Minister was speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, presenting a R6.3 billion budget aimed at unlocking local talent in both sports and the arts and culture.
“To those who say the country can’t afford to host the F1, I’m saying the country can’t afford not to... We hosted the best FIFA World Cup. We put our country on the map for big events and should not turn back now.”
According to McKenzie, what will be different this time is that government will not be expected to pay.
Meanwhile, he announced that companies like MTN, MultiChoice, Heineken, and many others have expressed their support for this initiative.
“They will be present with us in the meeting with Formula 1 at the end of the month."
However, he stressed that those who believe that F1 is not important should consider the countries that are holding onto their F1 spots on the calendar.
“They see the value in it, and it can’t be called a world championship if it misses an entire continent, sub-Saharan Africa in particular.”
He also expressed gratitude to everyone who joined the mission to promote the sport of spinning, including Red Bull and Cell C.
“People were laughing when we said we’re going to make spinning big, but already this sport has left the townships and now Sam Sam is wowing the likes of Max Verstappen with his skills in Austria.”
Samkeliso Thubane, also known as Sam Sam, is a prominent South African spinning motorsport athlete sponsored by Red Bull.
He is recognised as the world’s first official Red Bull spinning athlete and has gained international acclaim for his skills, performing at the reopening of Red Bull Hangar-7 in Austria.
LIV Golf
The country is exploring the potential of bringing a LIV Golf tournament, a professional men’s golf tour, to South Africa as early as next year.
“Golf has not broken through to the masses and we hope to achieve that with LIV Golf. It’s not only golf, but also culture,” McKenzie said.
The Minister said he hoped to eclipse Australia’s attendance of more than 100 000 at a single event over three days.
Olympics
Meanwhile, he said the draft document has been developed, and plans are being finalised to send as many athletes as possible to the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
The Minister said last year, they travelled to Olympic House in Switzerland to express the country’s interest in hosting the Summer Olympic Games in South Africa in 2036.
VAR
McKenzie announced that they are finalising the funding process for video assistant refereeing (VAR) to ensure fairness in football matches, from the Premier Soccer League to international fixtures -- meeting global standards.
“It is a necessity. We see stadiums vandalised when bad refereeing happens, and the success of teams like Mamelodi Sundowns makes global teams want to play here, but they get second thoughts because we don’t have VAR,“ McKenzie said.
Budget Tabled
The Minister tabled a R6.3 billion budget that he believes will help unlock local talent in both the sports, and arts and culture sectors.
“Change is difficult, but it’s necessary... Access and opportunity matter, and even the greatest of talents need that opportunity. That is why, to invest in all our talent, both in sport, and arts and culture, as well as preserving our heritage, the department has a budget of R6.3 billion for the 2025/26 financial year,” McKenzie said on Tuesday in Parliament.
Under Programme 2, Recreation Development and Sport Promotion, the Minister announced that the department will allocate R1.281 billion.
To continue supporting sports in the country, McKenzie said R98.5 million will be allocated toward federation support.
“One of the biggest changes coming for our federations will be the provision of an office building for them to share, as many have been running their sports out of the boots of their cars.”
To support and develop local talent, the department has allocated over R627 million through the conditional grant for this financial year.
According to the Minister, funding will be used for the purchase of equipment and attire for schools, clubs and hubs, as well as for training individuals in coaching, technical officiating, administration courses, and employment opportunities.
Repatriation
Under Programme 4, Heritage Promotion and Preservation, the department has allocated R2.787 billion, which includes R1.6 billion for the construction, maintenance, upgrading, and operation of valued libraries.
“Following the success of our inaugural programme to return the remains of South African fallen heroes from Zimbabwe and Zambia last year, we shall continue to repatriate the human remains of freedom fighters who fell outside the country during the struggle.
“I am told that there could still be 5 000 bodies that need to be returned, and we should not rest until they are home.”
The Minister said they are currently negotiating with Scottish authorities to repatriate the remains of Khoi and San ancestors from the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum by September 2025.
He also mentioned that government is nearing the conclusion of the reburial process for 58 ancestral remains from the Northern Cape.
This effort is guided by the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team, which includes representatives from the Nama, Griqua, Korana, and San communities.
Museums
The ministry is also driving a campaign, under the theme: "Reimagining South African Heritage for a New Era", which is aimed at making museums relevant to a new, curious generation, ultimately increasing visitor numbers.
“One of the first projects we are focusing on is Robben Island, which is undergoing a major revamp and facelift.”
Creative arts
Under Programme 3, focused on Arts and Culture Promotion and Development, his department is allocating R1.725 billion.
To enhance skills and transform the cultural and creative industries, he stated that they will continue to recruit and place approximately 300 young people.
This initiative aims to improve their chances of gaining employment and becoming self-employed in creative fields.
Sector clusters
He announced that the interim boards for the 17 sector clusters within the cultural and creative industry are now fully operational.
These boards are responsible for organising their respective sectors, promoting collaboration, and addressing challenges such as copyright protection, fair labour practices, and equitable distribution of funding.
According to the Minister, they will receive a total budget of R34 million to support their operations.
“We understand the frustration of our creatives. For the past 30 years and the years before that, they have not seen their lives change for the better.”
In support of the preservation and development of the Khoi and San languages, the N|uu language in particular, the department is setting aside R2 million for a targeted call for proposals to preserve these languages.