trees that line Botswana ' s off-road racing routes in the thousands.
Self service
The defining stage at the 2027 South African Safari Rally will be the marathon passage into Botswana. Crews will leave the event ' s Sun City bivouac and range deep into the Botswana bushveld, where a remote satellite camp will be their utilitarian overnight venue.
What makes the marathon stage so valuable to the true off-road racing experience is that crews are unsupported overnight. That means crews must do all vehicle service and
repairs with onboard tools. This requires skills you would not ordinarily expect of drivers and navigators. If crews make an error and damage their vehicle with a terrain strike, or a tree collision, they will have to effect repairs with minimal tools and almost no replacement parts at the remote overnight camp.
Some of the best fans
News of a marathon stage that overnights in Botswana has been met with terrific excitement, in a country whose passion for motorsport runs deep. Hosting two stages of a W2RC round is expected to draw strong local interest and support from a public eager to see the world ' s best rally-raid crews
" Competitors will race from South Africa into Botswana for the marathon stage, spend a night in the bush with no support, and then race back across the border to finish at Sun City, something you won ' t experience on a normal round of the World Rally- Raid Championship. We ' re inviting every competitor, every team and every rally-raid fan from around the world to come and experience Africa with us in 2027."
A home race for Ross
For one of the world ' s most regarded off-road motorcycle competitors, the Botswana stage will also bring the thrill of racing at home. Ross Branch is an elite-level off-road racer with several high-ranking Dakar finishes, race through their own backyard. Crews familiar with racing in Botswana know that its local motorsport fans are incredibly knowledgeable about the vehicles, drivers, route challenges, and strategic nuances that define off-road racing. It ' s no hyperbole to say that few, if any, countries have a population as passionate and knowledgeable about off-road racing as Botswana.
" This is going to be a true African adventure," said Archie Rutherford, CEO of the South African Safari Rally. including a second place in 2024. That same year, Branch became FIM World Rally-Raid( W2RC) champion.
A Gaborone native, Branch is one of the world ' s most popular off-road motorcycle racers and a heroworshipped figure at home. After a challenging 2025 South African Safari Rally with several desperately unlucky issues, Branch will be deeply motivated to prove the international racing credentials he has earned in front of a home crowd.
OCTOBER 2026 31 WORDS IN ACTION