SA takes another shot at world’s biggest braai record on Heritage Day
· Citizen
South Africans are too social to braai. Sorry, say that again.
Last year, South Africa missed out on a Guinness World Records entry for the biggest mass braai (barbecue they called it) because many of the 2 412 participants were busy chatting somewhere else instead of being at their braais when the event happened.
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Socialising cost South Africa the record
However, according to the supermarket group which arranged it, this year, on 24 September, Heritage Day, it hopes the participants will be a bit more disciplined and visit less – at least until the formalities are over.
Big Save head of marketing Dylan Jardim said the SA attempt was beaten last year by Japan, where 2 220 people were at their barbecue stations when they were counted.
Because not all the people in SA were at their stations, the Guinness people considered that the braais were not simultaneous.
“It’s frustrating, because this is not how South Africans do a braai,” Jardim said.
“The whole purpose of a braai is socialising, so we did it the way we do it, but that’s not how they wanted it. We need to do things differently this year if we want to break the record.”
Braai cops and pre-lit fires for Heritage Day
This year’s attempt – at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Heritage Day will include stewards – effectively “braai cops” – who will ensure people comply.
And, “instead of people having to go fetch the meat, we will have it waiting at the braais that will be lit beforehand. There should be no reason for them to leave. We have 500 custom-made braais ready where six people can braai at a time,” Jardim added.
He said they expect 3 000 people to braai on Heritage Day and added there are still some tickets left.
“We plan to open up the braai section at 10am and start the record attempt at 10.30am,” he said.
A marketing idea became a cultural moment
Jardim came up with the idea three years ago when he was trying to figure out how to make a lot of noise for the brand.
“That’s when I thought it would be insane to break a world record. I started looking at their website one evening when I saw the record of most people grilling/barbecuing simultaneously.
“When I saw it was only 2 200, I thought it was doable. Some of the records are ridiculous. There are some weird records that make no sense,” he said.
Jardim said the idea grew beyond trying to market the brand and, instead, became a big cultural moment.