- A South African free diver and her Canadian partner held their lips together underwater for over four minutes to claim a world record
- One South African has been collecting a very specific household tool since 1971, and his haul has earned him a place in the record books
- A 18th-century dairy farmer's desperate sea rescue using his horse became a Guinness record that nobody has dared attempt to beat
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South Africans have long had a flair for the extraordinary, and the Guinness World Records books are proof of that. From food feats to remarkable collections, here are eight of the most unusual records that locals have claimed as their own.
1. King Pie in Faerie Glen, Pretoria, baked its way into history on 25 June 2005 by producing a sausage roll stretching 111.11 metres. It remains one of the more deliciously ambitious entries in the record books.
2. Not to be outdone in the food department, Vuyolwethu Simanile devoured 121 grams of chicken feet in just one minute at the Mashamplanes Lounge in Chesterville on 5 August 2022, consuming nearly double what any of her four fellow competitors managed.
3. That same year, volunteers from the National Sea Rescue Institute arranged 11 602 lollipops in a winding line along Durban's beach boardwalk on 6 August 2022, securing the record for the longest line of lollipops ever laid out.
4. Ballet lovers will appreciate what Jeanne-Carlin Cilliers pulled off at an excercising facility in Kimberley on 5 March 2005: 1 199 consecutive grand battements, alternating legs, without stopping.
5. On the collecting front, Andrè Ludwick of Parys in the Free State holds the world record for the largest collection of nail clippers. His 505-strong collection, which he began building in 1971, even includes a handmade clipper dating back to 1935.
6. Gareth Pahliney, originally South African and now based in Cloghan, Ireland, is officially the world's biggest Deadpool fan. His collection of 4 250 pieces of Deadpool memorabilia, including rare comic books, figurines, Funko pop dolls, clothing, and a life-size statue, was recognised by Guinness on 3 December 2025.
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7. South African free diver Beth Neale and her Canadian partner, Miles Cloutier, shared a kiss lasting four minutes and six seconds while submerged in an infinity pool at a Maldives resort on 4 February 2023, setting the record for the longest underwater kiss.
8. Perhaps the most sobering entry on this list dates back to 1 June 1773. Dairy farmer Woltemade Woltemade rode his horse, Vonk, into the waters of Table Bay, Cape Town, after a Dutch vessel named De Jonge Thomas ran aground on a sandbar. Using the horse's tail as a tow line, he ferried 14 survivors to safety across seven gruelling trips. On his final attempt, six desperate men leapt into the water simultaneously, overwhelming both horse and rider. Neither survived. The record for the most people rescued at sea by horse has never been broken.
Read the full article here.
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Source: Briefly News