Week 38: Building South Africa’s smartest braai planner

(because 700g of meat per person seemed a bit wild)

The Experiment

While browsing online, I stumbled across a website with a “braai index” that calculated costs and portions for South African braais (barbecue/grill for non-South Africans.) It seemed useful enough, but also frustratingly one-dimensional. Just meat quantities and basic costs—no cultural flair, no menu planning, no sense of what makes a proper braai special.

With Heritage Day (September 24th) approaching (otherwise known as “Braai day”), I had a thought: what if I could create something that was better at getting to the soul of a South African braai? Not just “700g of meat per person” (which, honestly, seems hectic even by braai standards), but a proper planner that understood the difference between a traditional family braai and a shisa nyama feast.

So I decided to build Braai Boss: an AI that could plan authentic South African braais with menus, shopping lists, timelines, costs, and even cultural context.

The Process

Here’s how I tackled it:

Getting the Framework Right

I started with Claude during a walk (and was amused by its pronunciation of “braai” as “bri-ey”). In about 20 minutes, I had Claude outline what a proper South African braai planner should include: different cultural styles, proper portions, timing charts, and local context.

Building in ChatGPT

Armed with Claude’s framework, I spent about an hour going back and forth with ChatGPT to build the custom GPT. The process was surprisingly smooth—building GPTs has become pretty straightforward. I focused on:

• Cultural knowledge (Traditional family, Shisa Nyama, Cape Malay, Afrikaans heritage)
• Practical planning (portions, timings, dietary preferences)
• Local pricing and shopping lists
• That authentic South African tone (plenty of “lekker” and “sharp sharp”)

Creating the Landing Page

Using Cursor, I built a landing page for 52aiexperiments.com/braai-boss. I gave it a fairly wobbly prompt along with some images I had, and it delivered about 80% of what I wanted—proper content, decent layout, just needed some tweaking. Pretty impressive for minimal input.

Testing the Beast

I put Braai Boss through its paces with various scenarios. The results were solid: detailed shopping lists, realistic timelines, cultural authenticity, and my favorite feature—it generates a food-magazine-style photo of the suggested braai plate at the end.

The Outcome

Braai Boss delivers exactly what I hoped for. It understands the cultural nuances of different South African braai styles, provides realistic portions (not that wild 700g per person), and creates comprehensive plans that actually make sense.

The AI nails the cultural context—suggesting proper sides for different styles, understanding timing for different cuts of meat, and even incorporating local pricing. It’s not just a calculator; it’s a proper braai consultant.

Key Takeaway

Sometimes the best AI tools come from solving your own frustrations. That basic “braai index” website was technically functional but missed the point entirely. AI gave me the ability to build something that actually understands the culture and context behind the task.

The combination of Claude for framework thinking, ChatGPT for GPT building, and Cursor for rapid development created a surprisingly polished result in just a few hours.

Pro Tips for Building Cultural AI Tools:

1. Start with Cultural Context: Don’t just build a calculator—understand the traditions and nuances behind the task
2. Use Multiple AI Tools: Each has strengths—Claude for planning, ChatGPT for building, Cursor for coding
3. Test with Real Scenarios: Put your AI through actual use cases, not just theoretical ones
4. Embrace the Local Flavor: Include authentic language and cultural references—it makes the tool feel genuine

What’s Next?

I’m planning to add more cultural variations and maybe integrate with local South African grocery stores for real-time pricing. The foundation is solid, and there’s definitely room to make it even more comprehensive.

The real win here isn’t just the tool—it’s proving that AI can capture cultural nuance when you approach it thoughtfully.

Want to Try It Yourself?

Check out Braai Boss and see how it plans your next South African braai. Whether you’re planning a traditional family gathering or a shisa nyama feast, it’ll have you sorted with proper portions, timing, and that authentic South African touch.

Sharp sharp!