Safari Vehicles for Kids & Conservation by Shuri

My father, Sibusiso Vilane, wasn’t always a world-famous adventurer. Before he became the first Black person to summit Mount Everest, he was a goatherd in rural Swaziland. His life changed when he became a ranger at Malolotja Nature Reserve in 1993 and guided a British man named John Doble. After seeing his natural talent, John asked him if he’d like to climb Everest. My dad said yes… without even knowing what Everest was. This seems to run in the family because I also have a “Say yes to the opportunity, ask questions later” attitude. 

That decision led to history. But before Everest, before the speeches and accolades, he was trained by &Beyond (before it was even called that), and worked as a guide—a different class of guide. Quietly skilled. Deeply rooted in the bush. Unshakably passionate about conservation.

He always had a dream, not for more mountains, but for more young people in nature. He told me many times that one day, he wanted to own a game viewer and take children from local communities out...