Who is Jan Braai? His real name is Jan Scannell and he lives to braai (barbeque). He started the National Braai Day initiative in South Africa in 2007 and his aim is to create a national celebration of the one activity all South Africans have in common, regardless of race, language, gender or wealth, cooking over a fire. He holds the world record for the longest braai. He has a TV show about, yes, you guessed it, braaing.