Share

Saray Khumalo becomes first black SA woman to conquer Mount Everest

South African Saray Khumalo has reached the highest point on the planet becoming the first black African woman to scale Mount Everest, eNCA has reported. 

The business executive reportedly reached the summit in the early hours of Thursday. This was her fourth attempt at climbing Mount Everest.

In a previous attempt in May 2017, Khumalo had to be rescued from Mount Everest by helicopter. 

She had been injured during inclement weather while trying to reach the summit, Netwerk24 reported. 

Her previous attempts had been scuppered by an earthquake in Nepal and an avalanche.

READ: Saray Khumalo’s Mount Everest dream is dashed

Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain at its official elevation of 8 848m above sea level, according to Wikipedia

Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay were the first people to reach the mountain's summit on May 29, 1953. 

Since then, around 800 people attempted to climb Mount Everest annually. More than 296 people have died trying to climb it. 

saray

Early on Thursday morning, the Facebook page Summits with a Purpose posted: "A short while ago, Saray N'kusi Khumalo reached the top of the world.

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

"In 2012, Saray summited Mount Kilimanjaro and in the process, raised funds for the Lunchbox Fund.

"The mountaineering passion took hold and she embarked on a journey to climb the highest peak on each continent, not for herself but the education of African children.

"She summited Mount Elbrus in 2014 and Mount Aconcagua in 2015.

"She became a Nelson Mandela Libraries ambassador and raised nearly R1m for school libraries. After being on Everest during both the Serac fall (2014) and the earthquake (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 supports the Dr Thandi Ndlovu Foundation.

"From all of Africa - congratulations on your summit, Saray," Summits with a Purpose posted.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 310 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 443 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.97
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.97
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.48
-0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.4%
Platinum
911.60
+1.6%
Palladium
1,012.97
+1.1%
Gold
2,214.54
+0.9%
Silver
24.90
+1.0%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE