With Spinners officially returning for a second season in 2026 to both Canal+ and MultiChoice’s (Showmax and DStv) platforms worldwide, excitement about the gritty local action drama is once again revving at full throttle.
Following its gripping 2023 debut, fans are without a doubt eager to reunite with Ethan and his circle when the series roars back onto screens in 2026.
The show’s return promises more danger, more emotion, and a deeper dive into lives lived at full throttle.
Season one gave viewers a captivating ride into Cape Town’s underground spinning scene — a world where customised cars, screaming engines, and smoky clouds of burning rubber form a culture of their own.
‘Spinners’: The world of spinning
In Spinners, spinning wasn’t merely portrayed as a flashy sideshow, but as a powerful form of expression and survival in communities where opportunities are limited, and choices come at a cost.
For many young people in the Cape Flats, spinning is far more than an adrenaline rush. It represents belonging, defiance and pride, offering a sense of identity in a space where voices are often ignored.
At the centre of all the action in Spinners was Ethan, whose path from skilled getaway driver to someone desperate to escape the grip of gang life struck a chord with viewers.
His complicated relationship with his younger brother, the loyalty he shared with friends like Shane and Nazeem, and the constant pull between ambition and survival gave the first season its emotional core.
Magic 828 perfectly sums up the elements which made Spinners such a hit among fans:
“From the roaring engines and raw street culture to characters who feel like people you actually know, it’s one of those shows that cuts across age and background.”
‘Spinners S2’: The plot thickens…
Two years after escaping the violent grip of gang life, Ethan and his friends have become spinning stars in the big city.
Fame, love and happiness finally seem within reach – until a brutal ambush, orchestrated by Ethan’s old gang, shatters their peace.
Desperate, Ethan turns to the Maseko clan for help, but their protection comes at a heavy cost. Now caught between two rival crime families, can Ethan take the wheel and find his own road?
Cantona James (South African Film & Television Awards (Safta) and Silwerskerm nominee Trompoppie) and Chelsea Thomas (Rose d’Or and Seoul nominee Wyfie) reprise their leading roles, while Safta winner Brendon Daniels (White Lies, opposite Natalie Dormer) and fan favourite Dillon Windvogel (Blood & Water) also return.
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Who are the newbies?
New cast this season includes Safta winner Clementine Mosimane (How to Ruin Christmas) as the matriarch of the Maseko crime family; Feather Awards Hunk of the Year nominee Mondli Makhoba (Shaka iLembe, The Wife) as her bodyguard.
Rising star Luyanda Zwane (Sibongile and the Dlaminis, Shaka iLembe) and African Movie Academy Awards nominee Aphiwe Mkefe (Nkululeko, Kites) as her children.
Girl power: Top female spinner in action
Look out for a cameo from top female spinner Kayla Oliphant, who was recently featured in the National Geographic series David Blaine: Do Not Attempt and is Chelsea’s stunt double in the series.
Oliphant, who fell in love with the sport at the age of 14, began spinning when her father bought her a BMW 320 – referred to as “gusheshe” in township slang – and taught her the ropes.
Behind the cameras and Canal+ in the mix
This new season of the English/Zulu/Afrikaans drama is once again co-created by Joachim with showrunner Benjamin Hoffman. Jaco Bouwer (SXSW Zeiss Cinematography Award winner Gaia, kykNET record-breaker Niggies) again directs, and Safta winners Matthew Jankes and Sean Steinberg return as head writers.
Studiocanal, Canal+’s in-house studio, is handling international distribution.
Worldwide acclaim for ‘Spinners’
In November 2023, the first season of Spinners was released to worldwide acclaim.
Selected at Canneseries festival, the series won Best Foreign TV Series at The Shanghai International TV Festival’s Magnolia Awards, beating Succession, as well as three awards at Dakar Series, including Best Series.
It also garnered three South African Film and Television Awards (Safta) nominations, among other accolades.
Spinning in SA: More than a side-show
Car spinning culture in South Africa dates back to the 1980s, when it emerged in Soweto as a township trend involving funeral-related street displays.
In the 1990s, spinning became more structured and evolved into properly organised events.
There are risks associated with spinning, much like in most high-speed motorsports.
Serious injuries could arise from a technical malfunction or a poorly timed stunt involving balancing on the bonnet, sunroof or door handle.
Motorsport SA only recognised spinning as a sport in the 2010s.
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