Spinners season 2 shifts Ethan, played by Cantona James, and his crew from the Cape Flats to Johannesburg’s electrifying spinning circuit, where their ambitions are bigger and the risks are far greater. Two years after leaving gang life behind, Ethan appears close to achieving fame and security—until a violent attack tied to his past puts everything he has built in jeopardy.
Johannesburg brings bigger risks for Ethan and Amber
With old wounds, street survival and the powerful Maseko crime family colliding, the new season is set to deliver an intense and explosive ride.
Luyanda Zwane shared a post on social media ahead of the season’s arrival.
The acclaimed drama returns on 25 October at 20:00 on Mzansi Magic, DStv channel 161. The ensemble cast has opened up about their characters, the demanding preparation behind the roles and the developments viewers can expect.
Cantona James returns as Ethan
In the second season, Ethan has left the Cape Flats behind for Joburg’s fast-moving spinning world. Yet escaping his former environment does not free him from the emotional damage he carries.
Cantona said Ethan’s first-season story was driven by anxiety, pressure and the need to stay alive. The actor explained that Ethan had spent two years surrounded by the gang he worked for, making that dangerous existence feel normal. In trying to rescue his brother, he also became blind to many things along the way.
Now that Ethan is in Johannesburg, he must live with the consequences of those decisions. Cantona said the character’s experience reflects the reality for many people who do whatever is necessary in their communities to escape difficult circumstances. Even when they finally succeed, he said, they may struggle to enjoy their achievements because they have not recovered from what they endured to get there.
Ethan finds himself pursued by the same troubles again and again, with season 2 examining his psychological healing. Cantona said the new episodes find Ethan deep in self-examination, caught in a repeating pattern that makes progress seem impossible.
Viewers can also expect more high-intensity driving sequences from Cantona.
- Cantona completed a substantial amount of his own spinning and driving.
- He worked alongside stunt double and spinning instructor Yaseem Damon.
- His training included wild doughnuts, throwing the car around and allowing it to roll backwards.
The actor said the experience was enormously enjoyable and that appearing in a production on this scale has meant everything to him. With Spinners season 2 reaching audiences in many countries, he sees it as a step toward global recognition of South African stories without changing those stories to suit others.
For Cantona, acting is about more than international attention. He said he is representing people, telling stories and creating a voice for those without a platform or stage.
Chelsea Thomas is back as Amber
Chelsea Thomas grew up around motorsport culture in Kraaifontein, where the spinning “pitch” took place every Sunday. Watching the action from an early age gave her a natural point of reference for Amber’s confidence in a sport traditionally dominated by men.
She also drew inspiration from childhood favourites such as Fast & Furious. Chelsea said she had become accustomed to watching men spin and learned a great deal simply by observing what they did on the track, making it easier to bring that energy into a female character’s world.
Her involvement in the driving action has expanded since the first season. Kayla Oliphant handled all of Chelsea’s stunt work in season 1, but Chelsea attended spinning workshops for season 2 and got behind the wheel herself.
- Kayla took on most of the major stunts, including the suicide slide for which she is known.
- Chelsea performed a doughnut during the new season’s action scenes.
Working closely with Oliphant has increased Chelsea’s admiration for women working in motorsport. She said Kayla has repeatedly demonstrated that women can excel—even outperform expectations—in male-led spaces, strengthening Chelsea’s love, curiosity, excitement and respect for the field.
Amber and Ethan’s fan-favourite relationship will take a dramatic turn in Johannesburg. Chelsea said the stakes are much higher there, and that the sweet first-season meeting between the pair stands in direct contrast to what happens in the opening episode of season 2. She is leaving audiences to decide what that change means.
The actress is particularly eager for viewers to witness Amber’s personal development and vulnerability. Beneath Amber’s toughness, confidence and emotional defences, Chelsea said, there can still be room for softness and a safe place to land.
The Maseko family changes the game
Clementine Mosimane joins as Ma Maseko
For veteran performer Clementine Mosimane, becoming part of Spinners season 2 carried a personal connection. Her Capetonian grandmother spoke Afrikaans, and Clementine grew up speaking the language and understanding Afrikaans-speaking communities.
She said the series immediately resonated with her because authentic stories from that community are rarely represented in this way.
When Clementine read the script and came across Ma Maseko, she discovered that the casting search had initially been for someone much older. She believed age should not define who could deliver the role’s force and felt no 80-year-old could portray the character in the particular way required. She pursued the part because she loved the story, and she landed it.
Ma Maseko is an uncompromising matriarch whom audiences may recognise from figures in their own lives. Clementine said people from an earlier generation will identify with her and think of a grandmother or someone they have known. In Ma Maseko’s world, there are no grey areas: green is green, white is white, never cream or anything in between.
Joining an established series in its second season, along with the rest of the Maseko family, depended on discipline, understanding and respect among the performers. Clementine said it was an honour to work with people who know themselves, care about their craft and value one another.
She said the cast studied the scripts and understood each character. When one performer’s storyline took centre stage, the others stepped back and allowed that person to shine rather than overshadowing them. Clementine credited unity, love, mutual respect and understanding for holding the on-screen family together.
Mondli Makhoba plays Mpiyakhe
Mondli Makhoba also shared a social-media post.
Mondli enters season 2 as Mpiyakhe, Ma Maseko’s bodyguard and trusted right-hand man. He described Mpiyakhe as grounded, thoughtful and strategic, someone who plans the family’s operations after taking instructions from Ma Maseko.
- Mpiyakhe is intelligent and highly capable in matters of security.
- His loyalty to the Maseko family is absolute.
- He is prepared to do whatever is needed to keep them safe.
Mondli said his ability to play quiet but powerful characters comes from spiritual grounding. He views his career as a calling and believes he already possesses, within himself or spiritually, what these roles require.
Moving from historical productions such as Shaka iLembe into the hard-edged urban setting of Spinners involves listening to the voice of the text, he said. His process begins with reading while listening for the writer’s voice. As he reads, images of the character begin taking shape in his mind, which he then develops into the performance.
Because Mpiyakhe is a bodyguard, Mondli also maintains his fitness and looks after his physical condition.
Before auditioning, he revisited the entire first season. He had watched and enjoyed it when it originally premiered, but returned to it to understand the production’s visual and performance style and assess where he would fit. Mondli said he noticed that actors were given room to perform, something he wanted for himself. He entered the audition already a fan and determined not to let the opportunity slip.
Luyanda Zwane arrives as Amahle Maseko
Luyanda Zwane shared another post as she prepared to join Spinners season 2 as Amahle Maseko, a lively new presence within the family.
Luyanda described Amahle as Gogo’s golden girl: kind-hearted, loving and strong enough to stand up for herself. Although she is gentle, Amahle refuses to let her circumstances decide who she should be and remains her own person.
However, the character also becomes caught in tense dynamics. Luyanda hinted that Amahle is a “lover girl,” adding that someone has to love the lover girl. Amahle must balance her desire to defend a friend with her obligation to protect her brother, creating friction and conflicts of interest.
Outside the family drama, Amahle brings artistic ambition to the screen. She is a successful, widely travelled Black photographer and artist who stages portrait exhibitions and art nights of her own.
Luyanda said it is important for audiences to see a thriving Black artist on television. She hopes Amahle will encourage viewers to believe that they, too, can travel and create their own art, just as the character does.
Sayi becomes Ethan’s newest adversary
Aphiwe Mfeke takes on the role of Sayi
Aphiwe Mfeke joins Spinners season 2 as Sayi, who enters the Maseko family’s dangerous world as Ethan’s principal antagonist. A longtime admirer of the first season and a supporter of its international success, Aphiwe said accepting the role was an obvious choice.
He described himself as a major supporter of South African television and its strongest work. In his view, season 1 was exactly that: a compelling South African story telling a visceral tale about ordinary people on a global platform. When the second-season opportunity arrived, he said there was no hesitation.
Within the Maseko family, Sayi sees himself as a disgruntled prince and the empire’s heir apparent. Yet the position is far from easy, as he has ambitions and plans of his own.
Ethan’s arrival in Sayi’s territory makes matters worse. Aphiwe said Sayi feels Ethan is trying to take what belongs to him and disrupt his life, leaving the character feeling as though his entire world is falling apart from every direction.
Though Sayi and Ethan must maintain hostility on screen, the atmosphere away from the cameras was completely different. Aphiwe said the cast and crew welcomed the newcomers warmly and made them feel safe, calm and ready to perform.
He is especially proud of the writing and the complexity of Sayi’s journey. Aphiwe said youth-led series are uncommon, and it is even more unusual for a supporting character to receive a strong story arc. He felt the writers honoured Sayi and hopes his performance did justice to their work.
Also read: From “unreal chemistry” to heartbreak: Zamani Mbatha and Nelisiwe Sibiya on their on-screen connection.
