Mnikathi on top of the world

On Sunday morning, 19-year-old Nzuzo Mnikathi became the youngest black person to reach the South Pole in the Antarctica, despite suffering severe frostbite and almost withdrawing from the expedition.

Mnikathi, who wrote matric last year, travelled the 111km on skis in six-and-a-half days as part of the Unlimited Child South Pole expedition that aimed to raise awareness of the need for early childhood education in South Africa.

Unlimited Child runs creches for underprivileged children in the Valley of a Thousand Hills near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. The organisation was looking for an ambassador for their projects' underprivileged children.

Mnikathi's aunt, who works for one of the Unlimited Child creches, got him to apply, in his capacity as an orphan who grew up with similar challenges.

At some point during the gruelling climb, he thought the frostbite on his nose and fingers would force him to give up the race , but his teammates encouraged him .

Mnikathi said: "Today has been the best day of my life. Even though I really struggled and am exhausted, I am so grateful to be here with the rest of the team."

Mnikathi, who was orphaned at the age of nine and raised by his grandmother, was chosen as an ambassador as he had shown character and determination throughout his life.

The organisation's founder, Iain Buchan, who was also part of the team, said he hopes the expedition will publicise the need for early childhood education as the foundation for success later in life .

"It was very tough, especially the last 4.5km, but we are all elated to be here in what I reckon is the most special place on the planet," he said.

The team will travel from Antarctica to Chile before returning home later in the week.

In another expedition, two South African adventurers, Braam Malherbe and Peter van Kets, are on their way to the South Pole as part of the Scott-Amundsen centenary race.

The race commemorates 100 years since the famed explorers, Briton Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen, reached the South Pole .

Although the roughly 750km race has already been won - by the Norwegian team Erlend Gray, 28, Harvard Svidal, 35, and Mathias Seim, 23, on Friday - the South Africans are continuing as part of their campaign to raise awareness about the effects of rising temperatures on Antarctica, which they call the "largest unspoilt wilderness" on Earth.

They said the ice in Antarctica, which holds between 60% and 80% of the planet's fresh water, is melting.

Malherbe said on his blog: "I want to encourage each and every person to understand that the role they have to play is a vital and important one."

Three of the six teams have pulled out of the race, but the South African and one of the British teams are continuing.