Thousands of spectators lined the course on October 4 to watch 57 teams send their gravity-powered creations down the hill, tackling jumps and obstacles while entertaining the crowd with performances before each race.
An estimated 22 000 spectators turned out for the event, which brought together teams from across the country for a day centred on creativity, speed and showmanship.
Unlike a conventional race, the event was about more than simply getting to the finish line first.
Before taking on the course, each team had to perform a skit for the judges and crowd before launching their homemade cart down Sandton Drive.
Some carts made it down the course in one piece, while others struggled with the obstacles, but the crowd cheered the teams on regardless.
The Livingroom Referees from Johannesburg ultimately claimed the 2026 title with their rugged, Red Bull-branded creation, featuring chunky off-road tyres and an open-frame design.
The Livingroom Referees, 2026 Red Bull Box Cart winners
The team also brought plenty of local flavour to the starting line, performing to Mandoza’s “Nkalakatha” while dressed in green Springbok-inspired jerseys, helmets and green-and-gold face paint.
The winners said their victory came down to teamwork and the effort that went into building their cart.
“For us, it was all about innovation, having a great team and having our families behind us,” the team said.
“We never took shortcuts. We made sure we had proper welding, proper steel, proper wheels and that everything was built to the best of our ability. Once we had done that, we left the rest to the track.”
The team also encouraged future competitors to start preparing early and focus on teamwork.
Taking second place was the Gru Crew, whose bright yellow banana-inspired cart stood out for its playful design.
The team said they were surprised to finish on the podium, making their second-place result even more memorable.
The Rapid Response Unit secured third place, rounding out the podium after bringing their own creation to life for the competition.
The Johannesburg event was the eighth South African edition of the Red Bull Box Cart Race, which first launched in Brussels in 2000.
The Livingroom Referees, 2026 Red Bull Box Cart winner
South Africa is currently the only African country to have hosted the event, with previous local editions featuring creations ranging from Team Flower Power in Durban to the Potjie Boytjies and their potjie pot-inspired cart in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap.
Globally, the event has attracted more than five million spectators across 53 countries.
With the 2026 edition bringing thousands of Joburg residents to Sandton Drive, the Livingroom Referees now join the list of South African teams that have turned a homemade cart into a winning combination of creativity, teamwork and sheer nerve.
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