adventurer

Innovation, ingenuity, adventure, enthusiasm – these are all words that describe Monde Sitole, and they are all attributes he brings to his Educational Strategies Foundation to get children learning in a meaningful way.

One man, one woman, one rowing boat, and a vast ocean – South African adventurer Riaan Manser and his fiancée, Vasti Geldenhuys, are the first people to row from mainland Africa to mainland United States on their TakeMe2NY voyage. It was a gruelling four-and-a-half months, but as they say, "You gotta wanna".

Sibusiso Vilane is the first African, and one of only a handful of people, to accomplish the Explorers Grand Slam – the Goliath Challenge. He is a walking, talking advertisement for perseverance and resilience, spreading the message that "we Africans can reach great heights" around the world.

Sibusiso Vilane is the first African, and one of only a handful of people, to accomplish the Explorers Grand Slam – the Goliath Challenge. He is a walking, talking advertisement for perseverance and resilience, spreading the message that "we Africans can reach great heights" around the world.

South African adventurer Riaan Manser has accomplished some spectacular feats in his life. On Wednesday - the day of South Africa's fifth democratic elections - he added another amazing accomplishment as he and girlfriend Vesti Geldenhuys became the first people to row from Africa to North America.

Four stand-up paddleboarders have been granted permission to enter the 2014 Dusi Canoe Marathon, marking a first in the 63-year history of the 120km paddling race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

Swimming across frosty seas is the stuff of nightmares for most, but not for five extreme-cold swimmers from Cape Town who are gearing up for a chilling adventure in the menacing waters off the coast of South America.
• 'Human polar bear' makes Himalayan swim for peace

South African Tourism and the National Geographic Channel have launched a global search for the world’s top adventurers, who will be brought here for a week-long thrill fest.
• A hotspot for adventure travel

South African adventurer David Grier is braving rain, heat and blood-thirsty leeches in a world-first attempt to run the length of Madagascar during monsoon season. His motivation? To make a difference in the lives of children born with cleft lips and palates.

The pair of adventurers who this year became the first South Africans to walk to the South Pole without any assistance has returned to home soil – and their next extreme adventure they say will be poles apart from this one.