Gugu Zulu, 'Africa's Fastest Man,' is Buried in South Africa

One of South Africa's most beloved sportsmen, rally car driver Gugu Zulu, was laid to rest in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The 38-year-old driver died July 18 while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The charity trek had been organized by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to raise funds to buy sanitary towels for young girls.

Zulu, who was climbing with his wife Letshego, posted on his Instagram page on July 16 that he was "having flu like symptoms and struggling with the mountain." The foundation said that Zulu was put on a drip by the project's medical team, who descended the mountain with him. However, they were unable to save the sportsman and television presenter.

He was buried on Thursday at the Westpark Cemetery following a service at the Rhema Bible Church.

Fondly referred to as "the fastest brother in Africa," Gugulethu Zulu was born in the Soweto township of Johannesburg and made his breakthrough into motorsports—a traditionally white sport in South Africa—in the late 1990s. He went on to achieve great success, winning the domestic South African National Rally Class Championships three times, in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Zulu's infectious and cheerful personality also earned him roles as a presenter for motorsports programs. He presented the show Car Torque between 2005 and 2009 on public broadcaster SABC and also made an appearance in 2008 on South Africa's version of Strictly Come Dancing. The talented driver was set to begin a new stage in his professional life in August, joining Volkswagen's Global Touring Cars.

Zulu's loss has been felt across the spectrum of South African society. President Jacob Zuma paid tribute to the father-of-one, saying: "South Africa has lost an inspirational young man who was not only an adventure enthusiast, but was also passionate about community initiatives aimed at improving the lives of others." The chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang, said that he was "devastated" at the news of Zulu's death and felt a "huge sense of loss."

At a memorial service held Tuesday at the Kyalami Racing Circuit in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, his father Peter Zulu said: "To me, Gugu is the best story ever told." The chairman of Volkswagen South Africa, Thomas Schaefer, also spoke highly of the driver, saying that "Gugu embodied the spirit of a champion."

But the final word should go to Zulu's wife Letshego. The pair married in 2014 and dubbed themselves South Africa's "adventure couple" for their shared love of the outdoors and exercise—Zulu actually proposed to Letshego at the finish line of Cape Epic, an annual mountain bike race in held in the Western Cape. The couple often shared photographs and videos of themselves exercising together.

In a letter written by Letshego and read at Tuesday's memorial service, she said: "You were the best thing that ever happened to me." Letshego also pledged to continue carrying the title of the "adventure couple" with their daughter Lelethu, and made a plea at Zulu's burial on Thursday for a medical center to be erected on Kilimanjaro to tend to those suffering from altitude sickness.

South African filmmaker Jonathan Boynton-Lee, who ran a social media campaign called #IAMJOBURG, shared a video of the couple embracing on the street days before they left for the trek.