The team, made up of five women and two men, is expected to use the tournament as part of preparations for the upcoming World Chess Olympiad. Botswana Chess Federation (BCF) treasurer Chadza Bontsi leads the team to the South African Open.
Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Tuduetso Sabure, national champion Woman FIDE Master Boikhutso Mudongo, Tshepiso Lopang, Ontiretse Sabure and Keitumetse Mokgacha make the women team while Moakofi Notha and Bojosi Sabure are the men players. Notha and Bojosi finished joint third in the just ended national team playoffs. BCF had initially planned to send the entire men's team to South Africa but changed plans because of financial constraints. Bontsi said since there is a zonal tournament in Maputo, Mozambique two days after the conclusion of the South African Open they saw it fit to send only two men to Pretoria. The full men's squad will be in Maputo for the zonal tournament which is a team event contested by top players in the region. The South African Open is a prestigious tournament with a first prize of R10,000.
