Botswana added to SA Safari Rally
The marathon stage of South Africa’ s biggest 2027 motorsport event will venture over the border.
South Africa is globally renowned for its off-road racing series and incredibly successful local Dakarspec vehicle manufacturers. But Botswana is home to Africa ' s off-road race with the strongest legacy.
Known by locals as the Mantshwabisi, the Botswana Desert Race covers 1000 km and is the true qualifier for crews preparing for the following year ' s Dakar.
Although the race originated in the North West province, where South African off-road racing began, the move to Botswana in 1991 revolutionised it. It is Botswana ' s most important sporting event, and although the race venue has moved through different parts of the country, the Botswana Desert Race ' s audience loyalty has only grown.
African Safari Rally. Botswana offers incredibly challenging sand track bushveld racing conditions. The flat terrain and vast areas with identical geography can make rectifying a navigation error almost impossible. It ' s a real challenge.
For drivers, racing in Botswana means high speeds over vast distances while avoiding the vehicle-wrecking hazard of the Camel Thorn
That ' s why it is so fitting that the 2027 South African Safari Rally will include a Botswana section. A defining feature of the inaugural South African Safari Rally, hosted in 2025, was its marathon stage, which included a remote bushveld overnight camp.
Creating a true ' Safari ' stage
Scheduled as round three of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship( W2RC), for 14 to 19 June 2027, organisers of the South African Safari Rally have confirmed that Botswana will be a crucial feature of the event.
The marathon stage section that will loop into Botswana isn ' t just to broaden the geographic reach of the South
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