Small town drives big ‘draadkar’ dreams

The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix is a rare and deeply moving documentary record of an unusual event in a small town in the Karoo, South Africa. The film centres on an annual race where children run more than three kilometres while pushing a handmade wire car, known colloquially across the country as a draadkar.

The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix is streaming on Prime Video.

Imagination drives the narrative, opening with a CGI sequence of draadkar-inspired vehicles lined up and ready to race, a moment of anticipation that mirrors the real event to come. What begins as the racers’ dream unfolds into a story of perseverance and pride, where creativity fuels endurance and community spirit.

The camera flies through winding streets and past focused faces, while a soaring score turns the challenge and triumph of the race into cinematic moments full of heart. The iconic voice of motorsport commentator Alex Jacques brings the race scenes to life, echoing through the streets of Philipstown with energy and excitement.

The race is made powerful the children’s stories, revealed through their families and the wider community. South African rugby captain Siya Kolisi makes a cameo appearance, spending time with the young racers and sharing in the spirit that unites Philipstown.” to “The race is made powerful by the children’s stories, revealed through their families and the wider community. South African rugby captain Siya Kolisi makes a cameo appearance, spending time with the young racers and sharing in the spirit that unites Philipstown.

Launched alongside the documentary, a mobile game drops players into the heart of Philipstown and lets them experience the draadkar race. An e-commerce platform complements it by offering handcrafted wire cars and local art from residents. The film, game, and online store support the Philipstown WireCar Foundation, an initiative supporting the community.

“Imagination is like a character in the film because it’s not engineered,” said Alistair King, vice chair of the foundation, at a recent screening of the movie. “It’s one of the very first things I noticed when I arrived in Philipstown. The guys were driving their cars around, tooting the imaginary horns, and making the squeal of the tyres. They completely channel themselves into these cars.”

King, a Zimbabwean who grew up with wire cars, said the production team digitally mapped the entire town and, with support from teams in Germany, recreated the race using CGI and data gathered from the real event. In several scenes, the children and their wire cars are transformed into larger-than-life racers, with each design reflecting the personalities and imaginations of the participants. These sequences form part of a broader vision to amplify the community’s story.

“It struck me as a very profound moment to realise that many of them may never drive a car because of their circumstances,” he said.

However, the community is not letting its situation hold it back. Echoing Kay Fourie, chairperson of the Philipstown WireCar Foundation, King said the film is, in many ways, a microcosm of the country. Because the town is so small, he said, the people are acutely aware of their situation and are doing their best to survive and improve their lives.

“A piece of discarded wire is rusting and of little use,” he said. “But if you pick it up and work with it, it can be made into something beautiful. That became a symbol for the community, for the kids, and for what this foundation aims to do.”

“I am a firm believer that stories unique to Africa have to be shared with the world. Our priority was, first and foremost, to tell the story in the most beautiful way possible so the world could see it. The second part is that while it’s important to share our stories with the world, finding a way to monetise them and channel that money back into the communities to help turn the tide there is a critical part of this campaign.”

Talking about the race, the film’s director Paul Ward, said: “You have to be able to run really fast, and the top four are primarily great athletes, but the great equaliser is the car and its build. You’re not allowed to drag it. You have to push it with one hand.

“As a runner, if you take one hand away, it changes everything. And if your car breaks, you are disqualified. You can be the best runner, but a wheel might come off. This is the great unknown.”

The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix was produced by Giant Films and Accenture Song, directed by Paul Ward (WARD), and produced by Cindy Gabriel and Jo Barber. Cinematography was led by Jason Prins, with editing by Emily Bussac and Matthew Swanepoel. The original music was composed by Pressure Cooker featuring Muneyi. Kelly-Eve Koopman served as co-producer, and Dima Lochmann directed the CGI.

The Philipstown WireCar Foundation game – WGP Mobile

The free-to-play game WGP Mobile, available on the iOS App Store and Google Play, puts players in a digital twin of Philipstown. Players can experience the wire car race through recreated streets and landmarks. They can compete against the town’s local champions, upgrade their virtual wire cars, and unlock new tracks.

A moving moment in the film reveals that several of the children featured in the documentary also appear in the game as digital versions of themselves. Their faces light up as they recognise their avatars on screen, reflecting a mix of pride and wonder.

The game’s core mission lies in its optional in-app purchases. Money spent on car customisations, performance boosts, or other digital items goes directly to the Philipstown WireCar Foundation’s programmes. 

The Philipstown WireCar Foundation e-commerce store

The e-commerce platform offers authentic, handcrafted wire cars made by artisans in Philipstown. Merchandise and other local art are available to purchase.

The foundation says each wire car is a one-of-a-kind creation, a complex machine featuring a chassis, steering mechanism, and custom designs born from memory and passion. It says purchasing one of these creations celebrates and preserves a tradition passed down through generations while providing a vital source of income and pride.

The Philipstown WireCar Foundation programmes

Through the Philipstown WireCar Foundation, a building in the town is being renovated into a community hub and state-of-the-art e-learning centre. The foundation says funds raised will go towards upliftment programmes.

Fourie said in a press release: “My dream is for this foundation to become a centre of excellence. We want to offer everything from computer skills and robotics training to driver’s licence programmes and essential social support. We want to build a future where the next generation has real upliftment and employment opportunities they never would have had otherwise.

“Seeing our story on a global platform was a dream we never dared to have. But the film was always just the beginning. The real work starts now, by channelling this incredible wave of support into lasting change. We are asking the world not just to be spectators, but to be partners in our journey. Every single action, no matter how small it seems, contributes to building a future filled with prospects for our children.”

* Visit the Philipstown WireCar Foundation website here.

*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.