‘Volspoed’ captures SA racing reality

Volspoed pulls viewers into the reality of the high-adrenaline world of South African endurance racing. The motorsport tests cars, drivers and teams over hours on the same circuit, where pit stops, driver changes and strategy can matter as much as outright speed.

The Showmax Original is streaming now, with new episodes released on Tuesdays. The Afrikaans title, Volspoed, translates to “full speed”.

“Volspoed captures South African motorsport at its most authentic,” says creator and executive producer Carl Martin. “It is fast, fearless and full of heart but at its core, it is a story about a family chasing excellence together, no matter the cost. It is a reality show like no other and there is something for everyone.”

The eight-part series follows endurance racer Antonie Marx and his wife Ronette Marx, a former Miss SA finalist. The show is inspired in part by F1: Drive to Survive, a documentary series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the drivers and races of the Formula One World Championship.

Volspoed tracks Antonie at over 200km/h while the Marx family navigates a tougher circuit of ambition, sacrifice and the emotional highs and lows of life at full throttle. The cast includes race engineer Joost Maree and motorsport tuner and builder Braam Muller.

Who is Antonie Marx?

Antonie grew up in the world of motorsport. His father, Piet, apprenticed for SA racing great Tony Viana as a teenager and went on to collect numerous club and provincial titles on both dirt and tar oval tracks.

After years in the driver’s seat, Piet carved his own legacy into the land, building a full race track on his farm. It became a private proving ground where he put Antonie behind the wheel long before most children knew how to change gears.

By 15, Antonie was already attacking apexes with intent, stacking up club and provincial championships and following the trajectory of the man who taught him to chase the limit.

In 2016, he entered the BMW series. In 2019, he moved to the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars. After consistent podiums and race wins in both, he brought together Motorrenne Span to compete in The South African Endurance Series one-hour race.

Ronette Marx

Ronette Marx is an international model, television presenter and Miss SA Top 12 finalist from 2016. She built a career in Mumbai, appearing in Bollywood films, music videos and presenting across multiple platforms.

After several years abroad, she returned to SA and married Antonie. The pair has been together since their early twenties. Today, Ronette runs an aesthetics skin studio in Johannesburg while managing the team’s media, PR, administration and event production. She balances this alongside her modelling career. Ronette is the organisational backbone of the family.

Piet Marx

Now retired, Piet is fully focused on Antonie’s career. He runs a workshop in Bloemfontein, where he builds and maintains race cars, working closely with head mechanic Steven Theron, who also serves as Antonie’s crew chief.

Joost Maree

SA race engineer Joost Maree previously managed the Taurino Racing Team, overseeing a fleet that included 10 Ferrari Challenge cars and a Porsche Cup Car. Joost joined Stradale Racing in 2014, where he oversees all technical operations. Under his leadership, both teams have earned National Championships.

Braam Muller

Braam Muller grew up in a motorsport family and studied mechanical engineering before beginning his tuning career at Zwartkops Raceway. He later expanded to Pretoria West, where he runs a specialised facility that develops custom vehicles for teams, ranging from amateurs to manufacturers.