Mandla Mdakane: As far as 'entertainment value' goes, SA motorsport can compete with soccer

• Mandla Mdakane currently competes in the GTC championship racing for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

• The driver comes from a racing family and has followed in his father's footsteps.

• Mdakane wishes motorsport could be mentioned in the same breath as rugby and soccer.

• For more motoring stories, visit Wheels24

For as long as he can remember, Mandla Mdakane wanted to be a racing driver. Of course, having a racing driver dad and spending weekends trackside made the career choice more accessible, but it never meant an 'easy pass' on all things motoring.

Sharing his story with Wheels24, Mdakane says his uptake of motorsport almost happened by chance. He was barely out of his diapers when, one day at the old Zwartkops racetrack, he spotted a kart track and asked his dad if he could have a go with the other kids who were doing laps. His dad didn't think twice about saying yes, and by the age of four, Mandla got into his first cadet go-kart.

The youngster honed his skills on the track and worked with his father and other role-players within the industry to climb the motorsport ladder. Expectedly, it wasn't easy, and Mdakane experienced first-hand just how tough it can get. Thankfully for him, he saw every challenge as an opportunity to grow - so much so that he is now signed to the Toyota Gazoo Racing team and competing in the Global Touring Car (GTC) Championship.

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Keep working at it

Although Mdakane is now racing in South Africa's premier motorsport class, the work is never done. He is always in the gym, always keeping a close eye on his diet, and is doing his part in keeping his end of the bargain.

"I take my training seriously," Mdakane says. "I