12 Guiness Wold Records Held by Africans
3 min read
Kimani Maruge in class
1. The longest cooking marathon is held by a Kenyan woman

In 2019, Maliha Mohammed spent 75 hours and 3 minutes cooking at the Kenya Bay Beach Hotel in Mombasa.
2. The largest display of Origami butterflies is held by a South African

The largest display of origami butterflies is 29,416 and was achieved by Juanne-Pierre De Abreu in Cape Town, South Africa, on 5 December 2019.
3. South Africa has the most varieties of milkshakes that are commercially available

In 2020, the South African restaurant Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers & Rib, owned by South African Koeksister Shak in Cape Town was announced as the Guinness World Record official titleholder for the most varieties of milkshakes commercially available in 207 varieties.
4. The fastest time for a woman to run a half marathon is held by an Ethiopian woman

Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey set the fastest time in history for the women’s 5,000 meters after clocking 14 minutes, 6.62 seconds, while Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei smashed the men’s 10,000m record in 26 minutes, 11.02 seconds.
5. The largest coffee sketch in the world is in South Africa

South African artist Percy Maimela is a Guinness World Record holder after creating the largest coffee sketch in the world.
6. South Africa eats the most chicken feet per minute than any other country

South African Vuyolwethu Simanile set the Guinness World Record for most chicken feet eaten in a minute when she consumed twice the amount more than everyone else.
7. The person with the most appearances in Diamond League athletics meetings is a Nigerian

The most appearances in Diamond League meetings by an athlete is 67, achieved by a Nigerian woman, Blessing Okagbare, who competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and long jump disciplines between 3 July 2010 and 31 August 2018.
8. The survivor of the most bee stings was a Zimbabwean man

Johannes Relleke was stung by over 2,443 bees at the Kamativi Tin Mine in Gwaii River, Zimbabwe on January 28, 1962. He survived the attack, and all of the bee stings were later removed and counted. It holds the Guinness World Record for the Most Bee Stings Survived.
9. The oldest person to begin primary school was a Kenyan

The world’s oldest person to begin primary school is Kimani Maruge, who was 84 years old when he enrolled in primary school in Kenya in 2004. Kimani Maruge’s dream was to become a veterinary. However, he died 5 years later in 2009 at age 91.
10. The oldest person to run for elections and win is held by a Zimbabwean

President Robert Mugabe set Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest person in the world to run as a Presidential Candidate at 94 years old and win.
11. Fastest time for a woman to run a half marathon on 2 continents is held by a Nigerian

In 2012, Tuedon Morgan set 2 World Records for the fastest time for a woman to run a half marathon on each continent (10 days, 23 hours, and 37 minutes) and the fastest time for a woman to run a half marathon on each continent and the North Pole (62 days, 12 hours, 58 minutes and 49 seconds).
12. South African Woman made 249 cups of tea in 1 hour
