There’s a moment, watching Samkeliso “Sam Sam” Thubane at full throttle, when you realise you’re witnessing a kind of magic that breaks all the conventional rules of sport. The shriek of his BMW E30 cuts through the air as he maneuvers it into a whirlwind of burning rubber and thick smoke — a display as much about presence and passion as it is about precision. This is spinning. Not drifting, not racing — something wholly, proudly South African.
Born in the townships of Mbombela, spinning doesn’t ask to be defined. It’s at once a celebration, an art form, and a motorsport. It’s a culture forged in the dust and diesel of funeral gatherings and street block parties — where young rebels turned rear-wheel drive sedans into smoke machines that told stories louder than any engine note. For Sam Sam, spinning was never about following a path — it was about carving one out.
In June 2025, Sam Sam performed at the reopening of Red Bull’s Hangar-7 in Austria, spinning for an international audience with the same raw energy he first unleashed on South African streets. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a declaration. Spinning had gone global.
“Spinning fundamentally differs from drifting in its core purpose. Where drifting is confined to structure and judged precision, spinning celebrates chaos, flair, and connection.”
explains Vic Pardal, Sportive Director of Red Bull Shay’ iMoto — now spinning’s most prestigious platform
That sense of connection — between driver and crowd, between culture and car — is what makes spinning so compelling. It’s a motorsport where anyone can belong. Unlike the polished elitism of Formula One or the rule-laden world of track racing, spinning invites the streets into the sport. It breaks down barriers rather than building them.
For more than 30 years, spinning thrived underground in South Africa. Legal grey areas couldn’t stop it, because the community kept it alive — at funerals, social gatherings, and parking lot performances. Each event was both tribute and rebellion, carrying the weight of cultural memory and the thrill of unfiltered expression.
But in 2025, spinning isn’t just surviving — it’s thriving on the world’s biggest platforms. Sam Sam’s status as a Red Bull athlete has elevated spinning’s profile globally. More than a personal milestone, it’s a watershed moment for a sport once dismissed as a curiosity of the South African townships.
“As long as there have been rear-wheel drive cars in South Africa, people have been spinning,”.
Pardal says
But today’s stars like Sam Sam are turning the spectacle into an art form, blending precision with panache, and sharing it with the world.
The evolution is clearest in Red Bull Shay’ iMoto, the flagship competition bringing spinning to new heights. Durban is now set to host the next showdown in August 2025, marking a new chapter in spinning’s rise. What began as township tradition is now a touring cultural export, and South African innovation is once again leading the charge.
Spinning’s triumph lies in its refusal to lose its identity. It has grown — but not gentrified. It has gone global — but stayed grounded. It continues to showcase what happens when culture and courage collide behind the wheel.
In an era where many sports feel over-managed and under-inspired, spinning remains visceral and unrepentantly real. With pioneers like Sam Sam blazing the trail, the world is now watching — and more importantly, listening — to the roar of South Africa’s most thrilling export.
Ready to witness the future of motorsport?
Tickets are available via Computicket for the 2025 Red Bull Shay’ iMoto finale in Durban — a defining moment not just for South African motorsport, but for the global spinning movement.