Maseru, June.08 — The 2026 Desert Bush Walk in Jwaneng, Botswana, is set to be a monumental winter charity event. Taking place in July, this year’s highly anticipated 10th anniversary walk honours the Golden Jubilee birthday of Her Majesty Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso.
Botswana’s President Advocate Duma Boko will also grace the event and their presence underscores the deep ties between the two nations and the massive regional impact of the initiative.
The occasion also continues to strengthen the longstanding bilateral relationship between Botswana and Lesotho, nations that share deep historical, cultural and development ties.
Her Majesty’s participation in the Desert Bush Walk reflects her continued commitment to addressing diverse community needs in areas such as education, healthcare, youth rehabilitation, waste management, sports development, poverty alleviation, community development and empowerment initiatives.
The 2026 theme, “Sports and Tourism: Driving Health, Culture for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development,” reflects the event’s broader mission. Central to this, is the importance of basic human rights particularly access to quality education as outlined in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This is said to align closely with President Boko’s advocacy for education and literacy including his “Donate a Book” initiative.
Organized by the CSI-Concepts Foundation and the Desert Bush Walk Local Organizing Committee, the event is offering multiple scenic routes to accommodate all fitness levels, the main trails include a rigorous 30km route and a moderate 15km route on July 25 (Saturday) while on July 24 (Friday), will be a complimentary scenic 10km night route to kick-off the weekend’s activities under the stars.
Botswana, Since its inception in 2014, the Desert Bush Walk has grown into one of Botswana’s leading community driven events, promoting health, wellness, social impact, and economic diversification through sports and event tourism.
The walk now attracts over 5,000 participants annually from across Botswana, the SADC region, and as far afield as East and West Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Australia.
This year, the goal is to welcome 6,000 participants.
Over the years, the Foundation has raised more than BWP 4 million, supporting over 80,000 school children around Jwaneng/Mabutsane and numerous communities through educational materials, infrastructure support and other charitable initiatives.
The event continues to align with national priorities, including promoting wellness, addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through private sector involvement.
The three day programme will also include a Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa Cultural Exchange, ground-breaking ceremonies for sponsored community projects, market days, a symposium, site tours, game drives and mine tours for participants, as well as a celebratory gala dinner.
Meanwhile the Local Organizing Committee and volunteers will present a donation to Her Majesty for onward donation to a community organisation of Her choice back home.
Her Majesty Queen ‘Masenate last participated in the eighth (8th) edition of Desert Bush Walk.
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