South Africa is a nation of many difficulties, but the thing I like most is the dedication that people bring to SA. Here are 10 Amazing South African World Records that you might not even have heard about.
- Collect a Can – Most Cans Collected in one Month
- Longest Distance Traveled by a Miniature Train in 24 Hours
- Tallest tower of Cupcakes
- Most consecutive one-handed handsprings
- Longest chain of plastic bags
- Most bungee jumps in one hour
- Longest journey by a Jet Ski
- Longest Kebab
- Largest Vuvuzela
- Longest Moving Billboard
Collect a Can
Founded by ArcelorMittal South Africa and Nampak 23 years ago, the companies mission is to recycling
of beverage can’s to better the environment. Their ‘Cash for Cans’ initiative encourages cans to be collected and sold to Collect-a-Can for cash, because we know that recovery and recycling aids job creation in many communities and creates an additional source of income for schools, non-governmental organisations, and other community groups.
The most steel cans collected in one month is 2,656,284, weighing 82,929 kg (182,827 lb 2 oz) and was achieved by Collect-a-Can (South Africa) in South Africa, between 1-31 October 2010. Collect-a-Can first attempted this record in 2007, and has broken their own records twice since. Collections occurred at schools across the country for the month of October to promote the recycling of cans in South Africa.
Longest Distance Traveled by a Miniature Train in 24 Hours
A South African engineer and his team have smashed the world record for the longest distance covered by a coal-fired miniature steam locomotive in a 24 hour period. On December 10, Andries Keyser, from Pietermaritzburg, and nine friends set a new record of 205 miles – beating the one set in the UK in 1994 of 167 miles.
The greatest distance travelled by a train on a miniature railway in 24 hours is 329.79 km (204.92 mi), and was achieved by Simon Anderson, Bendon Anderson, Ronald Collyer, Michael Eykelhof, Ryan Fincham, Craig Gibson, Leon Kamfer, Andries Keyser, John Sharpe and Shawn Spaam (all South Africa), in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on 9 December 2017.
The team made their record-breaking attempt on a 1/3 Scale 4-4-0 Narrow Gauge coal-fired tender locomotive.
Tallest tower of Cupcakes
South Africa took the new Guinness World Records title for the Tallest tower of Cupcakes. On September 30 the 6th National Cupcake Day 4 Kids with Cancer was celebrated at 63 malls across the country .
The 10.7m tall tower showcased 6370 cupcakes and made the the record books for the Tallest Tower of Cupcakes
Volunteers for the non-profit baking company built an enormous 10.77 metres (35 ft 4 in) tall structure, on to which they arranged 6,370 individual fairy cakes.
We imagine it was very difficult for the participants not to give in to the temptation to eat the cakes while attempting this mouthwatering record…
Official Guinness World Records adjudicator Glenn Pollard was invited along to verify, with the assistance of a qualified land surveyor, who used a professional electronic laser theodolite to confirm the height of the cake tower.
Most consecutive one-handed handsprings
The most consecutive one handsprings is 34 and was achieved by Zama Mofokeng (South Africa) in Tembisa, South Africa, on 4 March 2017
Dedicated gymnast Zama Mofokeng has landed a place in the record books after achieving the Guinness World Records title for the Most consecutive back handsprings (one hand).
Longest chain of plastic bags
The longest chain of plastic bags consisted of 40,174 plastic bags and was created by pupils from D.F. Malherbe High School (South Africa) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on 9 March 2015. The chain was 15.387 km (9.56 miles) long.
The School collected 55 000 bags (not all were tied into the chain), which together weighed 600kg
Most bungee jumps in one hour
Recognized as the highest bungee from a bridge in the world Veronica Dean performed 19 bungee jumps in one hour.
Veronica Dean (South Africa) performed 19 bungee jumps in one hour at Bloukrans River Bridge, South Africa, on 9 May 2003. The bungee cord used was approximately 36 m (118 ft) long. At the time of the attempt, the Bloukrans River Bridge was the site of the world’s highest commercial bungee jump (i.e. one open on a daily basis) operated by Face Adrenalin.
Longest journey by a Jet Ski
World Records for the longest recorded Jet Ski journey is 10,729 miles, accomplished by South Africans Adriaan Marais and Marinus du Plessis, who followed the west coast of North America south to the Panama Canal in 2006
The longest ever journey on an aquabike (PWC) is 17,266.69 km (10,729 miles), by Adriaan Marais and Marinus du Plessis (both South Africa), who followed the west coast of North America south to the Panama Canal. They arrived in Panama City, Panama, after 95 days of navigation, on 19 September 2006. Using a satellite phone and a laptop computer they tote in a waterproof case, the men have updated a daily web diary at www.13000miles.com. They spent an averae of 10 hours a day at sea cruising at an average of about 40 mph. They endured choppy, chilly sea, dehydration, mechanical breakdowns and makeshift lodgins including at Fort Bragg’s harbour where a dock-leaping sea lion startled them at 2 a.m. in their sleeping bags.
Longest Kebab
The longest kebab measures 2047.47 m (1.27 miles) and was achieved by the ArcelorMittal Newcastle Works on occasion of the company’s annual Community Day, in Newcastle, South Africa, on 17 October 2008.
Largest Vuvuzela
The largest vuvuzela is 35 metres (114 ft 9 in) long and 5.5 metres (18 ft) in diameter at the front. It was created by Hyundai Automotive South Africa and was presented and measured in Cape Town, South Africa, on 26 May 2010. The vuvuzela is sounded before each match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
Longest Moving Billboard
South Africa still holds the record for the longest moving Billoboard.
To launch the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s Channel 2 on 11 May 1998, a 268.25 m (880 ft 1 in) billboard covering an area of 1072.19 m2 (11,541 ft2) was displayed on a train travelling between cities in the territory of Gauteng.
10 Amazing South African World Records You never heard of
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