Her Majesty Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso will be among the distinguished participants at the 10th Anniversary Desert Bush Walk, scheduled to take place from July 23 to 25, 2026, in Jwaneng, Botswana.
The announcement was made by the CSI-Concepts Foundation Board of Trustees and the Desert Bush Walk Local Organising Committee (LOC) in a statement this week. They also confirmed that Botswana’s President, Duma Gideon Boko, will participate in the milestone event alongside thousands of hikers and walkers.
This year’s edition holds special significance as it coincides with the Queen’s 50th birthday celebrations. Her Majesty has confirmed her return to the event following her participation in the eighth edition, further strengthening her association with the initiative.
The three-day programme will feature a variety of activities, including a Botswana-Lesotho-South Africa cultural exchange, groundbreaking ceremonies for community development projects, market days, a symposium, site visits, game drives, mine tours, and a gala dinner. The main walk will take place on July 25.
Queen ‘Masenate’s involvement reflects her continued commitment to community development and social upliftment. Her work has focused on addressing challenges in education, healthcare, youth rehabilitation, waste management, sports development, poverty alleviation, and broader empowerment initiatives.
Organisers say the partnership aims to create lasting benefits for communities in Jwaneng and Mabutsane, where the walk is held, while also extending support to communities in both Botswana and Lesotho.
The event also serves to reinforce the longstanding bilateral relationship between Botswana and Lesotho, two countries linked by strong historical, cultural, and developmental ties.
Launched in 2014, the Desert Bush Walk has grown into one of Botswana’s leading community-driven initiatives, promoting health, wellness, social development, and economic diversification through sport and tourism.
CSI-Concepts Foundation chairperson, Archibald Ngakayagae, said the event now attracts more than 5,000 participants annually, with walkers and runners travelling from across the Southern African Development Community, as well as East and West Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Australia.
He noted that organisers are targeting 6,000 participants this year, with the main route following a scenic desert trail that returns to Jwaneng.
Over the years, the Foundation has raised more than BWP4 million and supported over 80,000 schoolchildren in the Jwaneng and Mabutsane areas through the provision of educational materials, infrastructure development, and other charitable programmes.
“The event continues to align with national priorities by promoting wellness, combating non-communicable diseases and strengthening corporate social responsibility through private sector participation,” noted Ngakayagae. He added that the 2026 theme, ‘Sports and Tourism: Driving Health, Culture for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development,’ reflects the event’s broader mission of promoting inclusive development. Central to this vision is the advancement of basic human rights, particularly access to quality education, as recognised under Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
