He may have climbed the seven highest summits in the world, but Sibusiso Vilane now faces one of his greatest challenges yet - leading over 308 000 of South Africa's Boy Scouts.
The 43-year-old mountaineer, expedition guide and leader was recently inaugurated as Scouts SA's new chief scout.
He says scouting contributes to society by nurturing the values that Boy Scouts live by.
"Values like honesty, loyalty, respect for all and attitudes like perseverance and dedication are all important.
"As the chief scout it is my aim to revive interest in our movement and to make scouting more visible," he said.
Having only started school at 11, Vilane - a father of four children - says he owes much of his education to his mother and the people who supported him.
In turn, he now supports the education of three young girls in honour of the individuals who contributed to his own education.
Born in Mpumalanga, Vilane made a name for himself when he became the first black African to climb each of the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.
He now firmly believes adventure is the one thing lacking in the majority of youth today.
"It teaches you that for you to succeed in anything, you have to work hard, work with people and never give up trying," he said.
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