From modelling outfits to hiking gear, 15-year-old Mpho Sehapi is swapping her school shoes for boots as she prepares to summit Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.
The grade 10 pupil from Sitintile Secondary School in Kanyamazane, Mpumalanga, is one of three learners chosen for the 2025 Trek4Mandela expedition and she hopes to become the youngest female summiteer to reach Africa’s highest peak.
It’s a journey that started with a motivation essay, a fitness test and a challenging hike on a trail in Johannesburg, where Sehapi said she stood out for her physical health and determination.
“They told us to communicate, to be free and to be healthy. I don’t know about communication, but healthy? That’s who I am,” she said.
Beyond her athleticism, Mpho Sehapi is also a model, singer, and dancer.
She described the upcoming climb as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and is determined to give it her all. The group of climbers left for Tanzania on Saturday and is set to begin their weeklong climb today.
The annual expedition’s mission, apart from celebrating former president Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy, is also to raise awareness of disadvantaged girls who can’t afford sanitary pads.
“I’ve seen Kilimanjaro on cartoons, and I thought it was so far that I never thought that one day I’d go there,” Sehapi said.
“First, I have to stabilise myself. I have to make sure my mental health is OK. When you’re climbing, you’ll be tired and cold, so I keep that in mind. I’m very scared of the cold, but I think I can handle it. I mean, it’s a one-time chance. I have to handle this,” she said before jetting off.
Her mother, who has been a little anxious about her daughter’s trek, has been her biggest supporter.
“She kept telling me she wants me to return safe and that I mustn’t wander off and follow animals when I get there,” she said.
Sehapi said she initially felt intimidated, knowing that she’d be climbing with adults.
“These people are taller than me, stronger, and it’s high ground. But I know I am going to be the first one to set my foot on that snow patch at the summit,” she said.
Sehapi said her school gave her a warm send-off and promised a big celebration when she returns.
There is more in store for the confident teenager after she summits Kilimanjaro.
“I’m already on a new journey; I’m a semifinalist for the Face of Teenager SA 2025 competition. I see myself conquering that and taking the crown. When they ask other contestants, ‘What have you achieved?’ I’ll say, ‘Well, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro’. I don’t know about the others, but I know I did that,” she said.
Sehapi’s sponsor, Bongane Makwakwa, said the sponsorship idea came after he summited Kilimanjaro last year and was inspired by Trek4Mandela’s mission.
“One of the things that hit me was how about getting one of these girls to climb and summit and come back to tell the story? Makwakwa said. “I thought that would be much more impactful than us telling the story every time.”
He offered to sponsor one of the expedition members, unaware that the selected climber would be from his former school.
“Mpho stood out,” he said. “She was already doing something similar in her community, teaching other girls how to make reusable pads, distributing food when they do fundraising, and even distributing pads at times. She performed well physically, but beyond that, she had already started making a difference.”
Makwakwa said that with a daughter of his own, “there’s nothing more important for me than seeing girls that age stay in school, especially for something as natural as periods. You don’t want kids to drop out of school for that. That’s where Mpho comes in. It’s making sure these young people, these young girls, continue attending school, regardless of the natural challenges they might face.”
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