Home-built hero ‘P7’ steals Desert Race spotlight
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday July 10, 2026 10:42
Driving a buggy he built with his own hands, the Makaleng native battled punctures, mechanical breakdowns, fuel shortages and Botswana’s unforgiving terrain to complete the gruelling three-day Sarona 1000 Desert Race, proving that passion can keep pace with machines built on far bigger budgets.
Maruapula competed in the Class P category during the Sarona 1000 Desert Race, which doubled as rounds two and three of the Botswana Off-Road Racing Championship (BORRC). He lined up against 32 entries, many of them professionally engineered race cars from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
While the Namibian duo, Johannes Grobler and Ferdinand van Niekerk of AK4 Racing emerged as the overall winners in their Class 5 machine, and South Africa’s Mohamed and Nasheen Moulston finished second overall after winning Class 2, Maruapula’s race number P7 became one of the biggest attractions amongst the local crowd.
At one stage, mechanical problems threatened to bring his race to an abrupt end. With the buggy stranded on the route, spectators rallied behind the team, offering helping hands to get the home-built machine moving again.
“I think the spectators have been attracted to this car because it is Motswana-built. It is home-built, built through pocket money and I don’t have sponsors yet,” Maruapula told MmegiSport. Unlike many of his rivals, whose race cars are purpose-built using specialised components, Maruapula’s buggy was born in his own workshop.He began building the car during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 and completed the project a year later before making his racing debut towards the end of 2023. Knowing every bolt and weld on the buggy, he approached Friday’s opening time trial with caution. “I was happy with the time. I took it easy because I did not want to break anything. This car is home-built and it is not like the other cars. I built it from scratch, so I wanted to preserve it and make sure I completed the race,” he explained.
Even with that careful approach, the 1,000km challenge tested both man and machine. “It was very difficult. Parts broke, the route was tight and if you look at the car, it is covered with mud. “We had a puncture and a breakdown. We also ran out of fuel and had to make a plan,” he said. Despite the setbacks, Maruapula counted simply bringing the buggy home as one of his proudest achievements.
“I have been improving event by event. At least I managed to do the 1,000km race and bring the car home,” he said.
His ambitions, however, stretch far beyond completing races. Already, the self-taught builder is planning a second, more competitive buggy capable of challenging South Africa’s best off-road racers.
“The target is to build another vehicle stronger than this one. This was my first build. I need to build one that can help me compete in South Africa because they compete internationally. If I can keep up with them, I will know I am close to those standards,” he said. The biggest obstacle standing in his way is funding. “I would say the main problem is finances. These cars are expensive, and not a lot of us can afford them. I also cannot, but I am driven by passion. I had to buy a machine, modify and improvise, so for me it was easier because it was self-built,” he explained.
Now in the process of registering his own motorsport club, KCC Racing Team as a fully affiliated member of Botswana Motor Sport, Maruapula hopes the corporate sector will begin investing not only in drivers, but also in the engineers and innovators behind the machines.
“My wish is for companies who can, to sponsor us, the drivers, the builders, and also support the whole racing industry in Botswana. Events like this help us because they create a platform for us to showcase our talent and the innovation we bring to motorsport,” he said.