Forget horsepower. On Sunday, 4 October 2026, the only thing powering the action on Sandton Drive will be gravity.
Red Bull Box Cart Race returns to Johannesburg, bringing with it a deliberately ridiculous question: what happens when you give teams a hill, a homemade cart and absolutely no engine? The answer is part race, part street theatre and part controlled chaos.
The first cart goes down the ramp at 11am. A team hauls its hand built, engine free machine to the top of the ramp, dressed head to toe as pirates, superheroes, a giant potjie pot, a runaway bathtub, whatever the imagination coughed up in the workshop. Then, before a single wheel turns, they perform a skit at the top of the ramp to win over the judges and whip up the crowd. Big characters. Bigger commitment. This is where reputations are made. And then they let go. The cart drops, hits the jumps, and physics takes the wheel. Some carts fly clean and fast. Others lose a wheel on the first bump, cartwheel into the hay bales, or come apart in glorious slow motion while the driver hangs on and the crowd loses it. Nobody remembers the tidy runs. Everybody remembers the crashes. Carts are judged on speed, creativity and showmanship, so the fastest cart does not always win, and the one held together with hope and duct tape might just steal the day.
Entry is free for every single spectator. Bring the kids, bring the crew, bring a hat, and grab a patch of pavement on the hill for a front row seat to the mayhem. Behind every ridiculous cart is a crew that has spent weeks with power tools, dodgy blueprints and a shared refusal to leave a wild idea on the drawing board. We caught up with a few of this year’s teams to find out what drives them to take on the challenge.
For a team like Noma Yini, the opportunity is as much about expression as it is about competition.
“We honestly signed up because it’s fun, but it’s also about creativity, representation and telling our story. As Black South Africans, we want to show that we belong in spaces like this, bringing the spirit of the kasi, the hustle and the ability to make something out of nothing. Spectators can expect plenty of energy, humour and excitement when we hit the track.”
For first-time participants Kwik Kwik Nauw Nauw, powered by Takealot, the goal is clear: they’re stepping onto the track for the first time with their sights firmly set on the win.
“This is our first Red Bull Box Cart Race, and we’re excited to bring Kwik Kwik Nauw Nauw, powered by Takealot, to the track. We’re going for the win with speed, a standout design and a fun, delivery-inspired performance. Most importantly, we’re ready to entertain the crowd and bring the energy on race day.”
South Africa remains the only African nation to have hosted the race. The most recent editions tore down the steep, cobbled streets of Bo-Kaap in Cape Town, where the crowds each topped 22,000. The reigning champions, the Potjie Boytjies from Stellenbosch, took the crown on a potjie pot on wheels, proof that the best cart is the one that tells a story nobody saw coming. Now the race returns to Joburg for the eighth SA edition, and Sandton Drive joins a 2026 global calendar that runs through Belfast, London, Denver and Los Angeles.
Mark it down: Sunday, 4 October 2026, Sandton Drive, Johannesburg. The first cart launches at 11am. Entry is free. Costumes, skits, jumps, wipeouts and one unforgettable champion. Round up your people and come through.