Twenty-four-year-old Lungelo Dlamini, an avid mountain-climber who was born and raised in Estcourt, is the youngest CEO of Umphafa Berg Tours and has now added a Kilimanjaro summit to his list of achievements.
Being the son of a late humanitarian and expedition leader, Dlamini told The Ladysmith Herald that climbing Kilimanjaro was like a thirst he needed to quench. “Working closely with other great leaders such as Richard Mabaso and Sibusiso Vilane inspired me to take on the challenge,” said Dlamini, who has been training for this summit for half of his life.
Dlamini, who has an immense passion for climbing, said that this is just the first step in his quest to conquer the Seven Summits – a true mountaineering challenge which sees climbers summit the 14 highest peaks across all seven continents. “It has always been a vision to lead expeditions across the 14 peaks, starting off with Kilimanjaro, under the umbrella of Trek4Mandela,” he said.
Kilimanjaro is the first of many summits in Dlamini’s journey and he intends to climb other popular peaks such as the K2 which is part of the Himalayas and is considered to be much more technically challenging. However, this does not downplay the amount of work it took to tackle Kilimanjaro and Dlamini said that every step of his Drakensberg climbs prepared him for this summit.
Dlamini has had a relationship with the Trek4Mandela initiative since early 2017, joining an already established relationship between Trek4Mandela and Umphafa Berg Tours. Learning about the initiative quickly turned the relationship into more than just a professional one and as Dlamini drew inspiration from the CEO of Trek4Mandela, the social motive behind the expedition to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy became personal to Dlamini as it resonates with the majority of his peers.
The climb to Kilimanjaro was funded by Trek4Mandela due to the gift that Dlamini has in playing a key role in dignifying people in a country previously ravaged by adversity.
“The statement that best describes the daily drive which pushes me to climb is ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’. Nelson Mandela left a legacy that sits on everyone’s shoulders; the responsibility to take care of others and place their needs before your own and doing this without a set expiration date. The passing of my father did irreparable damage to me as many responsibilities fell onto the shoulders of a young man. Each day, since 2018, I thought about what my father’s vision meant to others and how he placed it and their needs before himself. In short, Nelson Mandela’s legacy means devotion to unconditional giving to others as well as spreading a message of peace,” said Dlamini.
Following his return to South Africa, Dlamini is now prepared to ascend the highest waterfall in the world – Tugela Falls. The Ladysmith Herald asked Dlamini what makes him love challenges like these and he answered: “As hikers say, ‘somewhere between the start and the summit is the reason why we climb’. When you’ve known something your whole life, the love for it is tremendous, and climbing has opened doors that assist in solving problems within the community.”
