Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa June/ July 2019 | Page 66

INSPIRATION
First black African woman
to summit Mount Everest
Proving that nothing is impossible
BY ISHANI CHETTY
tried to descend to Camp Four just below the peak. During
the descent, Khumalo’s team member, Seamus Lawless passed
away after tragically falling from an altitude of 8300m in an
area called a balcony. Her passion to make a difference in
Africa allowed her to persevere even after almost reaching the
true summit in 2017, just shy a 100m as she reached the south
summit.
On her website, Khumalo shares her passion for going
beyond the boundaries to achieve her wildest dreams and
inspire others.
Feature image/focus image – Saray N’Kusi Khumalo
S
etting her goals high, Saray N’kusi Khumalo became the
first black African woman to summit Mount Everest in
May 2019, after attempting to summit the mountain
four times.
Founding Summit with a Purpose, a platform dedicated
to ‘taking Ubuntu to the top of the world’, Khumalo is an
avid mountaineer – aiming to climb the highest peak on each
continent in the name of educating children in Africa. She
has summited multiple peaks, such as Mount Elbrus and
Mount Aconcagua to name a few. She raised funds for the
Lunchbox Fund by summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in 2012.
Khumalo was born in Zambia but is now South African and
a resident of Johannesburg.
Summit with a Purpose shared the thrilling news of
Khumalo reaching the summit on 16 May 2019 at 5.15am
South African time on social media. “A short while ago Saray
N’kusi Khumalo reached the top of the world.”
Khumalo reached the summit at 8848 metres in elevation
after beginning her journey on 20 April 2019. It was not
an easy expedition and reports from News24 suggest that
Khumalo slipped on the balcony area of the mountain as she
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JUNE/JULY 2019 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
“My dream is to go higher and go further for as long as
I breathe. To pave a way for my children and other ordinary
people, so we may realise and accept that ordinary people like
us can achieve extraordinary heights. To not think too much
about the difficulties on the way but keep focused on the end
goal and to take their hand, motivate them to realise that they
too may dream the impossible dream.”
As a powerful example of determination, Khumalo aims to
raise funds to build at least five libraries at under privileged
schools in South Africa with her 7 Summits with a Purpose
initiative.
More information about her journey can be found on
www.saraykhumalo.net