The early South African Grands Prix utilized the Prince George Circuit, a 24.4 km (15.2 mi) road course through populated areas of East London. The track was shortened to 17.7 km (11.0 mi) in 1936. Following the war, a permanent circuit retaining the Prince George name was built in 1959.
The first World Championship Formula One race in South Africa took place on 29 December 1962. Graham Hill won the race and the championship after Jim Clark's Lotus suffered mechanical issues. The Prince George Circuit hosted the event again in 1963, 1965, and 1966. The 1966 race was relegated to non-championship status because a new 3-litre engine formula took effect on the day of the race.
In 1967, the Grand Prix moved to the Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg. In the inaugural Kyalami race, privateer John Love nearly won but finished second behind Pedro Rodríguez after late-race fuel issues. In 1968, Jim Clark achieved his final Formula One victory at Kyalami, breaking Juan Manuel Fangio's record for most career wins. Other notable winners included Jackie Stewart in 1969, Jack Brabham in 1970, and Mario Andretti in 1971.
The circuit was also the site of several fatalities. In 1974, Peter Revson died from injuries sustained after crashing into barriers during testing. The 1977 race saw a collision between driver Tom Pryce and track marshal Frederick Jansen Van Vuuren, which was fatal to both.
By the 1980s, Kyalami's high altitude—approximately 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) above sea level—gave turbo-charged engines a significant advantage over normally aspirated engines. In 1982, turbo engines possessed a horsepower advantage of 150 hp. Renault dominated the 1980 and 1982 races, with Alain Prost winning the latter despite losing a wheel mid-race. The 1981 event was held as a Formula Libre race because of the FISA–FOCA war, meaning it did not count toward the World Championship.
The 1985 Grand Prix was heavily impacted by the political climate of apartheid. After the South African government declared a state of emergency due to civil violence, several nations boycotted the event. The French government banned its sporting teams from competing in South Africa, leading to the withdrawal of the Renault and Ligier teams. While drivers Alain Prost and Philippe Streiff participated for British teams, the event remained controversial. Nigel Mansell and Keke Rosberg secured a 1–2 finish for Williams, marking the final South African Grand Prix until the end of apartheid.
Formula One returned to Kyalami in 1992 and 1993. Nigel Mansell dominated the 1992 race, while Alain Prost won the 1993 event following a battle with Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. In 1993, the circuit was sold to the South African Automobile Association. Although the facility was profitable, the high costs of hosting Formula One led to the race being dropped from the calendar.
According to historical records, Jim Clark won the South African Grand Prix four times, while Niki Lauda won three times. Jody Scheckter remains the only South African driver to win the race, achieving victory in 1975.
Efforts to revive the race have faced consistent obstacles. In 2018, Motorsport South Africa CEO Adrian Scholtz noted that high hosting costs and a lack of FIA-compliant tracks were the primary barriers. Plans for a 2024 return were abandoned in June 2023; the FIA cited the South African government's stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the reason for the cancellation.
In 2025, a new bid was launched for a return as early as 2027. While the FIA approved upgrades to Kyalami in June 2025 to meet Formula 1 standards, reports from Autosport.com indicated that no deal was imminent. South Africa also faces competition from other African nations, such as Rwanda and Nigeria, which have expressed interest in hosting a Grand Prix.