The race made its debut over the weekend in Jwaneng from April 11-13. This is Botswana’s very first owned 1000km race and its opening rounds of the 2025 Botswana Off-Road Championship (BORRC), a car competition and the second and third rounds of the Botswana Motor Sport (BMS) Cross-Country Competition. The race impressively attracted the drivers from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, making it the most with the international representation with two countries joining their local counterparts. The debut edition of the Sarona Kalahari 1000km has seen 18 entrants but only half (nine competitors) managed to complete the race over a three-day period. Eight of the remaining nine competitors failed to complete the race while the Namibian duo Llwellyn Loftie-Eaton and Damion Honiballl forfeited their start.
The terrain proved a tougher assignment for the drivers with patches of water and sandy paths on the pitch. It created a scene of a perfect off-road racing event. However, it took a toll on the competitors. The local duo of Mohammed Dada and Muhammad Saloojee in the Production Vehicle Class G were the first casualty as they failed to complete the time trials on day one on Friday. Another local team in Steffan Eloff and Japie Brunette also failed to complete the time trials in their Side by side Class G. However, both teams recovered to third positions each in the last two days of competition. Six more competitors failed to finish on the second day of racing and further six on the last day on Sunday afternoon. It was thrill for the spectators but a tough task for the competitors with a total of 15 DNF’s (Did Not Finish) recorded over the three days of racing and making it an average of five per competition day.
However, South African pair of, Dewald van Breda and co-driver, Andriaan Boets battled it hard to claim the overall best team and the first ever champions of the Sarona Kalahari 1000km Race. “It was tough, it was a tough one. You just need to put your head down and continue fighting, going flag out. You cannot relax, the Botswana bush do not forgive so you must be 100% concentrated or the the trees will take you out,” said van Breda. The South African further praised the terrain terming it as beautiful and enjoyable to race on.
