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Flying Low: Inside Botswana’s Underground Drone Racing Scene

Exploring the tech-fuelled adrenaline of high-speed aerial racing

Beneath the radar of mainstream motorsports lies a fast-growing subculture: drone racing. What started as a weekend hobby for tech-savvy adventurers has evolved into a competitive sport with real stakes — and jaw-dropping speed.

In this story, we meet some of Botswana’s most skilled FPV (first-person-view) pilots, explore custom-built racing drones, and follow Desert Rush’s attempt to film an underground drone race in the rocky outskirts of Molepolole. The visuals are cinematic, but the challenges are real: wind interference, GPS dropouts, and split-second crashes. Dive in to find out how these digital daredevils are carving a new space in African motorsports.

When the Dust Settles: The Khawa Dune Challenge Recap
A high-octane breakdown of Botswana’s most iconic desert race