Sibusiso Vilane

Motivational speaker and esteemed adventurer, Sibusiso Vilane, is a popular addition to a wide range of events. As theauthor ofTo The Top From Nowhere, Sibisiso is no stranger to discussing his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a world-class climber. He is both mentally resilient and physically fit, having completed marathons and scaled mountains - audiences are captivated by his stories. Sibusiso first started work as a labourer, before working as a game ranger at Malolotja Nature Reserve in Swaziland in 1993, a role in which he used his experience as a goatherder. With the funding of John Doble, a friend and benefactor, Sibusiso tried his hand at adventuring, completing his first mission in 1996 by summiting peaks in the Drakensberg.

Three years later, Sibusis pushed himself further, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro beforeclimbing the Himalayas in 2002. Though these missions are all achievements in themselves, the 6,000 metre high climbs were all in preparation for Sibusiso's Mount Everest's expedition. In 2003, Sibusiso became the first black African to summit Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain. As a testament to his achievement, the South African President at the time stated;"in this, he has shown the heights we can all scale in life if we put our shoulder to the wheel and work at things without flagging". Showing no signs of slowing down, Sibusiso scaled Everest again withSir Ranulph Fiennesand Alex Harris, in 2005.

Sibusiso is also a prominent fundraiser, having donated the money he raised on his expedition to The Birth to Twenty Research Programme, the Africa Foundation and the SOS Children's Village in Swaziland. Due to this, he is the ideal event host for a charity fundraiser, as he is fuelled by a passion to do good. In total, Sibusiso hascompleted all Seven Summits; Mount Kilimanjaro in 1999, Mount Everest in 2003 and 2005, Aconcagua in 2006, Mount Elbrus in 2006, Carstensz Pyramid in 2006, Vinson Massif in 2006 and Mount McKinley in 2008.