Saray Khumalo is an award-winning South African mountaineer and the first Black African woman to summit Mount Everest. Born in Zambia, she also holds a Guinness World Record and is an author, keynote speaker, and founder of the Summits With a Purpose foundation. 

Mountaineering accomplishments

• First Black African Woman to Summit Mount Everest: She reached the summit in May 2019 after three previous attempts.
• Explorer Grand Slam: Khumalo is on a quest to become the first African to complete the Explorer Grand Slam, which involves reaching the North Pole, the South Pole, and the highest peaks on all seven continents.
• Completed the Seven Summits challenge: She has successfully climbed the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.
• First African woman to ski to the South Pole: She is also the first African woman to reach the South Pole on skis.
• Expeditions for philanthropy: Khumalo uses her mountaineering expeditions to raise funds for education and literacy through her Summits With a Purpose non-profit organization. 

Other notable achievements and roles

• Author: Her book, My Journey to the Top of the World, shares her story of reaching the summit of Mount Everest.
• Business Executive: She has a successful career in the financial services sector, specializing in eCommerce and customer loyalty.
• Motivator and Leader: As a global keynote speaker, she shares her experiences on resilience, leadership, and transformation.
• Order of Ikhamanga: Khumalo is a recipient of this South African national honor, which recognizes citizens who have made outstanding contributions in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, or sport