Cars South Africa unveils their AI flying car to avoid SA potholes after Elon Musk's demo goes viral

Cars South Africa posted an AI-generated video of a car appearing to fly over a pothole-riddled road, poking fun at South Africa's infrastructure
The clip was posted on TikTok on 16 October 2026 and quickly went viral, drawing comparisons to Elon Musk's flying car demonstration
South Africans flooded the comments with jokes, calling it the country's version of the Tesla and praising the speed of the response

South African roads have long been the subject of frustration, but one TikTok account turned that frustration into comedy gold. On 16 October 2026, @carssouthafrica posted an AI-generated video that appeared to show a car flying right over a massive pothole on a residential street. The clip was a direct, tongue-in-cheek response to Elon Musk's flying car demonstration, and Mzansi absolutely loved it.

Cars South Africa shows best solution for potholes after Elon Musk's flying car demo — Cars South Africa shows the best solution for potholes after Elon Musk's flying car demo. Image: Rüveyda / Pexels
Source: UGC

The short outdoor video, filmed from inside a vehicle on what looked like a typical South African suburban road, showed a silver hatchback navigating around a large pothole filled with reddish dirt. The narrator's reaction was candid and amused, setting the tone for what quickly became a viral moment.

The joke landed because it hit close to home for millions of South Africans dealing with deteriorating roads daily. Rather than a sleek futuristic vehicle gliding through the sky as Musk's demo suggested, the "flying car" in this version was simply trying to survive Johannesburg's roads. The video by @carssouthafrica touched on an all-too-relatable subject matter. Watch the AI flying car video that had Mzansi in stitches:

Mzansi reacts to the clip

South Africans in the comments on @carssouthafrica's TikTok could not get enough:

@Nathan Ramalingam320 wrote:

"South Africa doesn't waste time 🤣🤣"

@Kaylin Swanepoel said:

"Elon is late for the party, here in RSA we maak n plan [we make a plan] 😭🤣💀"

@beau_boove reacted:

"Yoh cars.co.za moves fast 😭"

@Vukani Memela added:

"There is no peace in Mzansi 😂. Ford Tesla"

@Llewellyn Govender said:

"We all need roadsters for JHB roads if something doesn't change 😂"

@Shadow_CODM🍉 quipped:

"Haters will say it's AI."

Cars South Africa unveils their AI flying car to avoid SA potholes after Elon Musk's demo goes viral

Mzansi reacts to the clip

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