SA hails Saray Khumalo for being first black woman to conquer Mount Everest

Picture: Facebook

Picture: Facebook

Published May 16, 2019

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Johannesburg - Messages of congratulations were pouring in from all over the world for South African female business executive Saray N’kusi Khumalo who on Thursday became the first woman to scale and reach the top of Mount Everest in Asia's Himalayas in Nepal.

At 29 029 feet, or 8 840 metres above sea level, Mount Everest is the highest and most prominent mountain on earth based on measurement to sea level.  Almost 300 people have died trying to climb Mount Everest.

Born in Zambia, with a Rwandan bloodline and now a South African, Khumalo achieved her goal of becoming the first black woman from Africa to summit Mount Everest after four attempts. 

On social media, Saray Khumalo was trending at number one with congratulatory messages streaming in from many prominent and ordinary individuals.

Khumalo had to be rescued from Mount Everest by helicopter during her previous attempt to summit in 2017 after she was injured during inclement weather.  

After being on Everest during both the Serac fall in 2014 and the earthquake in 2015, she reached the south summit in 2017. 

Through pure perseverance, grit and courage she decided to return to Mount Everest in 2019.  During this expedition, she supported the Dr Thandi Ndlovu Foundation.

In 2012, Saray summitted Mt Kilimanjaro and in the process raised funds for the Lunchbox Fund.  

Her mountaineering passion took hold and she embarked on a journey to climb the highest peak on each continent, not for herself but for the education of African children. She summitted Mt Elbrus in 2014 and Mt Aconcagua in 2015.  

Khumalo became a Nelson Mandela Libraries ambassador and raised nearly R1 million for school libraries. 

African News Agency (ANA)

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