Heritage Day celebration: South Africa's quest for the world's largest braai record

Thousands of South Africans gathered at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to celebrate Heritage Day and witness the country's attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest braai. 

The event brought together 2,500 braai enthusiasts who simultaneously grilled half a ton of meat across 420 custom-built braai stands. Each participant received a portion of boerewors, a fresh roll, a branded apron, and tongs. 

The record-breaking attempt was part of a larger celebration featuring live music performances, beer gardens, and food trucks.

The current record holder is Ishigaki City in Japan, with 2,220 people achieving the record in November 2023. 

To break the record, the South African team needed to surpass this number, and with 2,500 participants, they aimed to set a new record. 

However, the confirmation of the record will take some time, and participants and attendees will have to wait a few days to find out if South Africa has successfully toppled Japan as the current record holder.

Organised by Big Save, the event brought together thousands of braaiers who simultaneously grilled half a ton of meat across 420 braai stands.

Dylan Jardim, head of marketing at Big Save, revealed that the idea to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest braai was conceived two years ago. 

“I wanted to make sure we would make our brand reach out,” he said.

Jardim explained that while Big Save is well-known locally, he aimed to take it to a national and global stage. 

While scrolling through Guinness World Records, Jardim stumbled upon the braai record and thought it was a no-brainer to pursue, given that South Africa did not hold it yet. 

Glenn Pollaid, the Guinness World Record adjudicator, noted that Japan has been a record holder with 2,220 people achieving the record in November 2023. 

“This record has stood for almost two years,” he said.

He mentioned that if South Africa matched the current record of 2,220 people, it would result in a joint record. 

However, if they fell short of that number, they would not achieve the record, but it would still be an incredible celebration of South African heritage on Heritage Day.

Pollaid had a team of stewards on the ground to assist him with judging the record-breaking attempt for the largest braai. 

The stewards played a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and fairness of the adjudication process.

The stewards' role is to monitor the braai stands, ensuring everyone participates. 

“They have to walk around through all the braai stands in their command, and they have to watch a maximum of 50 people. Guinness World Record says each steward can observe a maximum of 50 people to make sure that everybody is fully taking part in the braai,” he said.

With 420 custom-built braai stations and 2,520 pieces of boerewors, the event was a testament to the power of food and music to unite communities.

The event's impact extended beyond the celebration, with a portion of ticket sales supporting Trek4Mandela, an initiative that tackles food security and period poverty across South Africa. 

Big Save partnered with Trek4Mandela to provide one million meals to those in need on World Food Day 2026, further solidifying the event's purpose.

The event seamlessly transitioned into a music festival, featuring some of South Africa's biggest acts, including Mi Casa, GoodLuck, Booshle G, Biggy, Lee Cole, and Kurt Darren.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za