Experience the thrilling world of Spinners, the groundbreaking African series exclusively available on Showmax – premiered on November 8, 2023.
This co-production between Showmax and CANAL+ takes you on a heart-pounding journey through the dangerous streets of the Cape Flats.
Follow the gripping story of Ethan, a 17-year-old driver caught in the clutches of a ruthless gang.
As he navigates the treacherous world of spinning, an adrenaline-fueled motorsport, Ethan must find a way to escape the grip of violence and forge a new path for himself and his younger brother.
With each episode leaving you on the edge of your seat, can Ethan turn his life around before it’s too late?
Spinners has garnered critical acclaim and accolades from prestigious events such as Canneseries and Dakar Series.
This gripping series has received standing ovations from audiences in Cannes, Paris, and Cape Town, leaving viewers in awe of its powerful storytelling and exceptional production value.
As IOL’s Debashine Thangevelo raves, “Fasten those seatbelts for an exhilarating ride into the criminal world of the Cape Flats… If there is anything you watch this week, make sure it’s this!” Kenyan critic Kelvin Kariuki echoes the sentiment, praising Spinners for its ability to pack more excitement and depth into eight episodes than most shows do in multiple seasons.
To delve deeper into the world of Spinners, we had the opportunity to speak with the talented rising star Katlego Lebogang.
Known for her captivating performances in Wounds and Jiva, Lebogang brings her undeniable talent to the role of Mabalwa in Spinners.
In our interview, she shares insights into the making of the series and the challenges she faced in portraying such a complex character.
Discover the behind-the-scenes secrets and immerse yourself in the gripping narrative that has taken the world by storm.
Don’t miss out on this extraordinary series that will leave you breathless and craving for more. Stream Spinners on Showmax today and experience the adrenaline rush for yourself.
Tell us about yourself?
I am Katlego Lebogang, an actor born and raised in Johannesburg and trained at UCT. From the age of nine, I was like, ‘I just want to be an actor.’ So I’m living out my little nine-year-old dream.
What is the story of Spinners?
It’s a story of hope: a story of breaking away from the cards that life has dealt for you, from what your life was basically destined to be from birth.
Tell us about your character?
I’ve had the honour of taking on the character of Phumeza. She’s a detective in her late 20s who gets thrown into the deep end when she is put in a position where she’s about to take over as the lead detective in the Hills.
Do you identify with Phumeza?
She’s worlds apart from who I am. I love that as an actor; it takes me out of my comfort zones.
When people that know me watch her, they’ll be like, ‘That’s not you.’ But at her core, she’s very spiritually driven. She takes her faith very seriously and all her decisions are based on that, and just doing what’s right. So I relate to that.
In a world where there’s so much bad, she believes, and she sees the good in people. And in this case, Ethan really needed the benefit of the doubt, because Phumeza saw him for who he really, really was.
There are some very strong female characters on Spinners, in a very male-dominated world.
They’ve taken time with really crafting these characters. You look at Ethan’s mom, at Amber, at Phumeza – they are very, very different.
When I look at uPhumeza, she’s coming in to head a department where she’s the only woman. It’s very empowering; she’s a very, very powerful character. She’s very strong and it could have made her hard, but they didn’t strip her of her femininity and her maternal energy. I think that’s very beautiful; I love how she’s portrayed.
It is so important for us to break stereotypes. There are female detectives that are really good at their jobs and they need to be represented as well. It’s like, yeah, we’ve seen Bad Boys but we need more Phumezas, you know what I mean?
What have been some of the highlights on set?
My favourite thing is handling a gun. I don’t even want to lie. As I said before, little nine-year-old me is like, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’
Did you get a chance to do any spinning?
Unfortunately, I didn’t. Phumeza’s about the law – she can’t be out there spinning!
Why should people watch Spinners?
It’s high action, high energy but still really, really true and authentic. People will fall in love with a lot of the characters; it’s a beautiful, beautiful story. And I’ve never watched or read anything like it.
Cantona James as Ethan in Spinners. Pic by Charlie Sperring, courtesy of Empreinte Digitale and Showmax.
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