The event was moved to Botswana in 1992 for a better terrain. Under the name Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race, the race was held in places around Gaborone as race headquarters were staged at Mantshwabisi which gave birth to the event's widely used name. It was also held in Kumakwane until a request by Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) to move the race to Jwaneng and then Selebi-Phikwe.
The race attracted over a 100,000 spectators every year, making it the best attended sporting activity in the country. In 2019, 'Mantswabisi' was moved to Selebi-Phikwe in an effort to revive the 'dead' coal-mining town after a five-year deal was penned by SACCS, BTO, SPEDU and the Botswana Motor Sport (BMS). Selebi-Phikwe, however, only managed to host a single edition of the TDR in 2019, as in 2020 the outbreak of COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the race. A year later in 2021, Phikwe was deemed not suitable to host the race due to the restrictions on sporting activities imposed by the government. Mantshwabisi was then moved to Upington in South Africa's Northern Cape. For a second year running, the race will once again be held in Upington. This is despite the government relaxing restrictions on sport and with a Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2019 still in place, questions as to why Upington again, have been raised.
