South Africa Just Tried to Set the World Record for Biggest Braai

Thousands of South Africans gathered in Pretoria on Heritage Day, which locals casually call Braai Day, to attempt a Guinness World Record for the most people barbecuing at the same time. The rules: everyone grills simultaneously for at least five minutes, and anyone who walks away gets disqualified. The target to beat was 2,220, set in Ishigaki, Japan in 2023.

The weapon of choice was boerewors, the traditional fat, curled farmer's sausage, alongside burgers, steaks, and lamb chops. Picture it: an entire city square of people, smoke rising everywhere, all flipping meat in unison while a Guinness adjudicator reviews the evidence. This is my kind of sport.

A Guinness official said the final count was still being confirmed at the time of the footage. Whether they smashed the record or fell short, this is a holiday built on firing up the grill, and thousands of people doing it at the exact same time is the most wholesome flex in food news this week. Some countries have parades. South Africa has synchronized sausage.