Thousands of South Africans lit their braais in unison at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on September 24, in a fresh attempt to claim the Guinness World Record for most people grilling simultaneously. Organizers set up roughly 500 grilling stations around the rugby stadium and hoped to draw close to 3,000 participants for the bid, held on Heritage Day, the national holiday South Africans informally call "Braai Day."
The record under challenge was set in Ishigaki City, Japan, where 2,220 people grilled beef skewers simultaneously in November 2023. To beat it, according to the official Guinness World Records listing, every participant had to keep a fire going for a minimum of five uninterrupted minutes; stepping away from a station meant automatic disqualification.
It was South Africa's second run at the title. A 2025 attempt fell short after too many grillers wandered off before the five-minute mark closed, organizers said. This year's crowd worked the coals with the usual braai staples, boerewors sausage, burgers, steaks and chops, under the eye of Guinness adjudicator Paulina Sapinska, who watched over the rows of grills as smoke drifted across the pitch.
Verifying by the coals
Because Guinness requires a head count of everyone still actively grilling at the five-minute mark, confirming a record of this scale takes time. Officials said only after Sapinska's team cross-checked photographs, video and station-by-station tallies would organizers know whether the attempt succeeded, with a verdict expected to follow the event by a day or more.
Participant Alex Coetzee captured the mood on the pitch, telling the Associated Press: "We're actually gonna break the world record now. South Africans have the record and that's the most important part."
As of this writing, Guinness World Records had not yet posted an updated listing confirming a new title holder, leaving Pretoria's grillers waiting to learn whether Heritage Day 2026 earned South Africa bragging rights over Japan, or whether they will be firing up the coals again next year.
