The TDR has once again moved back to South Africa and will be hosted in the Limpopo Province as the Waterberg1000 Rally. The Waterberg1000 is lined up to be part of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) rounds as the local sporting scene counts costs.
Local authorities had penned a five-year deal with the custodians of the race, the South African Cross Country Series, to host the race in Botswana from 2023-2027. This marked Matshwabisi's return to Botswana since 2019 after it had relocated to Upington in the Northern Cape. In the last five years, Botswana has now lost the race on four occasions, with the 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions held in South Africa. Out of the 43 editions since the race's inception in 1981, 30 have been hosted in Botswana. The three-day marathon now looks very unlikely to return to local shores with an entry into the W2RC on the horizon.
Information reaching MmegiSport indicates that a two-day race will be enlisted in the 2024 BMS National Off-Road Championship. The race is to be called the Jwaneng 500km Desert Challenge and is proposed for June, the same month as the Waterberg1000 Rally. The month of June is also the traditional date for Mantshwabisi.
The Jwaneng 500km Desert Challenge is set to feature two-wheeler bikes, quad bikes, and cars, with riders from regional countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. With a distance of 500km, this will be the longest race in the country after Mantshwabisi, eclipsing, amongst others, the Two Rivers (Metsimotlhabe) Race, Kopong 200, and Boteti 200 in the national championship. The proposal draft seen by MmegiSport outlines that the Jwaneng 500km Desert Challenge needs a budget of P30 million. "Proposed budget of P30 million from government and private sponsors to cover logistics, fuel, and competitor sponsorship," the proposal reads.
The key components of the proposal include logistics and infrastructure as organisers seek resources to establish a competitor's village camp and avail marshals to ensure strict safety measures and an optimal viewing experience for the spectators. The organisers also aim to assist competitors with accommodation, travel expenses, and equipment, among other things, while minimising reliance on Motorsport South Africa (MSA).
"(The) aim (is) to minimise reliance on the Motorsport South Africa (MSA) organisation to maintain autonomy and streamline event management processes. However, collaborate with MSA for essential regulatory requirements and support as needed," part of the proposal reads. The BMS and other stakeholders, including the Botswana Tourism Organisation, are yet to publicly map the way forward following the announcement of the relocation of the desert race.
