Behind-the-Scenes in Botswana: A Glimpse Into the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue

May is just around the corner, which means the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue will be available on newsstands before you know it.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Alix Earle, Penny Lane, Achieng Agutu and Camille Kostek will return to the fold, while model Meredith Mickelson will make her brand debut. In case you missed it, read more about the women who traveled to Botswana here, where you’ll also find their first official snapshots for this year’s issue.

Following Tuesday’s big reveal, several models have taken to their Instagram accounts to recap their time in the country in Southern Africa. We shared our own recap, too, in order to showcase Botswana through the lens of the SI Swimsuit team. Check out a few of the highlights below.

Penny Lane

Lane, who will return to the fold for the third consecutive year, shared a reel of BTS footage with her 431,000 followers on Tuesday. The video showcased her travels to Botswana, leading into her first photograph with Ruven Afanador.

The model and certified holistic health coach followed up her reel with a carousel of snapshots and a poignant message on the platform the following day.

“@si_swimsuit has been one of the most impactful things in my life, not just for my career, but for the women it’s brought into it. The friendships I’ve made feel like they’ll last forever,” Lane wrote of her work with the brand. She later added, “ ... I really do feel like I’m part of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit family. Thank you for adopting me all the way from the UK.”

Meredith Mickelson

Mickelson, who joins the SI Swimsuit family as a rookie this year, is a model and actress who has been featured in publications like Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone and Vogue. Of her experience with the SI Swimsuit team in Botswana, she wrote on Instagram, “this trip truly changed my life, and this team changed my life.”

Her photo carousel included snapshots in various swimwear looks, snapshots alongside fellow models and crew members and gorgeous scenes of the safari.

“this shoot meant everything to me in ways i can’t fully put into words,” the 26-year-old Atlanta native continued her March 18 Instagram caption. “i love each and every person on this team, the talent and the crew, everyone who made me feel like family from the very first moment and surrounded me with so much love the entire time.”

The SI Swimsuit team

Take a peek behind the scenes from the POV of the SI Swimsuit team by flicking through this photo dump, featuring stunning landscape photos, model candids and more.

Camille Kostek

Kostek, a brand legend, posted a video to her Instagram story in which she, Earle, Agutu and Mickelson were being transported to set in a vehicle. The model, who is returning to the SI Swimsuit Issue for her ninth consecutive year with the brand, also shared a few glimpses at the suits she wore on location, and noted that there would be plenty more teaser content to come.

“I have soooo much more to share from my week in Botswana 🇧🇼,” Kostek wrote in an Instagram story on March 18. “So many behind the scenes moments of the making of the magazine and the captures of all of the animals we saw on our safaris !!!”