The first editions of the race took place between 1958 and 1960 at a circuit adjacent to Grand Central Airport near Midrand, before the event relocated to the purpose-built Kyalami circuit in 1961. During the 1960s and into the 1970s, the Nine Hours became the centrepiece of the South African Springbok Trophy Series, running continuously from 1965 to 1973 and serving as the most prestigious domestic motorsport fixture of that era. South African endurance racing attracted international machinery and drivers throughout this period, with European and American sports car constructors regularly competing at Kyalami.
In 1974, the race was elevated to international championship status as a round of the World Championship of Makes, though the format was adjusted to a six-hour or 1,000-kilometre structure for that edition. The event reverted to touring car format from 1975 to 1979. It returned to sports car competition in 1981 and 1982 at the nine-hour distance, before again shortening to 1,000 kilometres when it was included in the World Endurance Championship calendar for the 1983 and 1984 seasons. Circuit construction works kept the race off the calendar in 1985, and a reduced 500-kilometre format ran from 1986 to 1988.
Following a decade-long absence, the event was briefly revived between 1998 and 2000 as a two-and-a-half-hour race under the banner of the SportsRacing World Cup, a short-lived initiative that did not sustain the event's historical prestige.
On 27 July 2018, Kyalami circuit officials announced that the nine-hour endurance format would return in 2019, integrated into the Intercontinental GT Challenge organised by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation. The IGTC calendar at the time also featured the Bathurst 12 Hour, California 8 Hours, Spa 24 Hours, and Suzuka 10 Hours — all major GT3-spec events drawing international manufacturer teams and factory driver lineups.
The Kyalami revival positioned South Africa as an endurance racing destination after more than three decades of global top-tier absence. The original scheduling for the 2019 event, planned for 3 November, was shifted to 23 November to avoid a date conflict with the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Kyalami is located at Midrand, equidistant between Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa's Gauteng province. The modern circuit, rebuilt and reopened in 1992 after the original layout was reshaped, runs at altitude — approximately 1,540 metres above sea level — which affects power output and cooling requirements for endurance machinery. The circuit's combination of fast sweeping sections and technical infield corners makes it well regarded among drivers competing in long-format events.
Kyalami is included in Assetto Corsa Competizione as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge content pack, which brings the 9 Hours into the game's roster of official events. The circuit's distinctive high-altitude layout and the endurance format associated with the race make it a notable fixture for sim racers pursuing IGTC calendar runs.
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