Thousands of South Africans fired up grills in unison at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Thursday, attempting to set the Guinness World Record for the largest braai — the country's beloved open-flame barbecue — as part of Heritage Day celebrations, according to NPR.
The numbers
Roughly 500 pre-lit stations were set up across the stadium grounds, with organizers hoping around 3,000 participants would show up to chase a target of 2,220 simultaneous grillers — the record set in Ishigaki, Japan, in November 2023. Under Guinness rules, each participant aged 13 or older had to remain at an assigned station and actively barbecue for at least five consecutive minutes to be counted, cooking traditional coiled boerewors sausage alongside burgers, steaks and lamb chops.
This was not South Africa's first attempt. A 2025 bid drew 2,412 counted participants but was rejected by Guinness World Records after adjudicators found that competitors hadn't stayed at their stations for the full window.
Context
The braai is a cornerstone of South African identity that cuts across the country's ethnic and cultural lines, which is why organizers tied this attempt to Heritage Day — a public holiday sometimes nicknamed "Braai Day" that celebrates the nation's cultural diversity. This year's bid leaned on stricter stewarding, aerial drone footage and access-control logs to avoid a repeat rejection.
Reaction
Guinness adjudicators reviewed footage, access records and stewards' reports on site, with organizers saying the additional documentation was designed specifically to satisfy the concerns that sank last year's attempt, per Euronews.
What's next
A formal ruling on whether the record was broken was expected within days of the event, with organizers saying they intend to make the Heritage Day braai an annual record attempt regardless of the outcome.