kykNET's New Docu-Reality Series, Klippe Kou

Klippe Kou: More than just old cars, dust roads and adrenaline

At first glance, Klippe Kou, which premieres on kykNET on 15 July at 20:00, looks like a show about old cars, dusty roads and a wild adventure on the way to and in Vanwyksvlei. But beneath all the rusted bodywork, broken gearboxes and clouds of dust lies something far greater: stories of ordinary South Africans who have had to endure their fair share of hardships.

Wicus Pretorius, one of the executive producers, says:

“The roads around Vanwyksvlei chew up tyres – they’re rough! But it’s also a metaphor for the difficult times and challenges all of us experience. Everyone has to chew rocks at some point in their lives, but we simply have to persevere, hold on to hope and help one another along the way.”

Klippe Kou is a docu-reality series that follows four teams as they spend two months building their own unique vintage vehicles for the legendary Bull Run in Vanwyksvlei, described by the organisers as “matric holiday for grown-ups and AfrikaBurn for petrolheads“. At this annual event, participants tackle the challenging roads of the Northern Cape in vehicles dating from 1985 or older.

What begins as a creative challenge soon develops into a test of endurance and friendship. As they struggle on the road, the team members openly share stories about all the other hardships they had to endure in their own lives.

The idea for the show was born after executive producers Wicus Pretorius, Marius van de Wall and Cilliers Human experienced the Bull Run.

“The hugely popular Fiësta on kykNET covered the Bull Run in 2023, and it completely blew the team away,” says Wicus. “The landscape, the adventure and the action – but most importantly, the spirit among the participants. And for me, as a bit of a petrolhead, I simply couldn’t stop looking at the vintage vehicles. Shortly afterwards, we started dreaming about how we could turn the Bull Run and the preparation leading up to it into a reality show.”

That dream came true when the concept was pitched to kykNET at the Silwerskerm Festival’s Silwermark and got the green light.

But as filming progressed, it wasn’t the cars that made the biggest impression – it was the people.

The four teams were selected from a combination of existing Bull Run applicants and participants whom the producers believed would make great television.

For Marius, the heart of the show lies in the honest, human stories that unfold alongside the process of building the cars.

“As the teams worked on their engines, they also opened up about the hardships they were facing now, as well as the challenges they had already overcome in their lives. In doing so, they revealed a vulnerable side of themselves,” he says.

“It was incredible to see how the cars they worked on and fixed became metaphors for everything they’ve had to endure and fix in their own lives.”

When the teams finally reach their destination, the focus shifts to the ultimate goal – and the big question hanging over everyone’s heads: Are the cars going to make it?

After months of preparation and a challenging journey through the Karoo, the Bull Run race awaits them at Vanwyksvlei. There, the cars and their drivers are tested to the limit with a 160 km rally and track events on the dust pan outside the town before a winner is crowned.

But as Klippe Kou shows, it’s about far more than simply reaching the finish line.

“Yes, there is healthy competition and rivalry, but the more important part of it all is how they support and uplift one another,” says Marius.

Cilliers Human says Sharne, one of the participants, summed up the spirit of the Bull Run perfectly for him: “Life is actually so good, but it’s also so short, so don’t get hung up on stuff that’s not important. Enjoy it, just say yes, do it anyway. Dust and all.”