Hundreds of South Africans fired up their grills in Pretoria in an attempt to break the world record for the largest simultaneous barbecue.
The mass gathering took place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Thursday as South Africa celebrated Heritage Day.
Organisers hoped to bring together around 3,000 people at approximately 500 grilling stations.
Their goal was simple: get enough people cooking at the same time to set a new Guinness World Record.
South Africa celebrates Heritage Day with massive braai
Heritage Day celebrates South Africa’s diverse cultures and traditions.
The holiday has also become informally associated with Braai Day.
A braai is the South African tradition of cooking food over an open fire or hot coals. However, it is also a social occasion that brings families and communities together.
Participant Rethabile Ntsoko described the tradition as something that helps keep people connected.
At the Pretoria event, participants cooked a range of food.
The main dish was boerewors, South Africa’s traditional coiled sausage.
Burgers, steaks and lamb chops were also placed on the grills.
Can South Africa break the barbecue world record?
Organisers were trying to beat a record set in Ishigaki, Japan, in 2023.
That event brought together 2,200 people who grilled simultaneously.
South Africa previously attempted to break the record but fell short last year.
This time, organisers hoped as many as 3,000 participants would take part.
Under Guinness World Records rules for the attempt, every participant needed to barbecue at the same time for at least five minutes.
However, the record has not yet been confirmed.
Officials were reviewing evidence from the event, with a final decision expected on Friday.
Braai attempt also raises money for meals
The event had another goal beyond breaking a world record.
Money raised through the gathering will support an initiative to provide one million meals across South Africa on World Food Day.
For participants, the gathering also offered a large-scale celebration of one of South Africa’s best-known social traditions.
Now, they must wait to find out whether their Heritage Day braai was big enough to enter the record books.