Skeem Saam actor Clement Maosa is getting ready for one of the biggest challenges in his life, a climb up Africa's highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, and wants to dedicate his climb to his late parents.

Clement will be making the climb as part of the annual Trek4Mandela expedition in July. The group will summit the peak on Mandela Day, 18 July.

The expedition was established by social entrepreneur Richard Mabaso and is led by renowned adventurer and motivational speaker Sibusiso Vilane, who is the first black African to pocket the three Poles challenge: South Pole, North Pole and Mount Everest.

With two months to go before the journey, Clement has been hard at work preparing for the climb.

Taking to social media this week Clement opened up about the journey ahead and said he was using the expedition to raise awareness.

"The road to Kilimanjaro. Doing it for all those underprivileged, those with less opportunities, lack of resources and facilities and those neglected. I’m doing it for all the orphans out there who are about to lose hope. I’m doing it for equality and social justice."

He also dedicated the climb to loved ones who had died, including his late mother and father, and Akhumzi Jezile and Dumi Masilela. 

"Lastly, I’m doing it in honour of my beloved ones. My late mom and dad, my late mom- and dad-in-law, late friends who touched and impacted my life," he wrote, also tagging Akhumzi and Dumi's social media accounts.

He also shared a poem in memory of them, promising to leave behind a tribute in their honour.

“I want to leave my footprints on the sand of time, know there was something that I left behind. When I leave this world, I will leave no regrets but something to remember. I was there."

The star has always been open about his parent's death when he was just a teenager and  in a letter to himself on his 30th birthday last year he spoke about the struggles he faced after they died. 

"Your mom and dad were both domestic workers and couldn’t afford you nice things in life, but look at you now. Your parents left you as a teenager with nothing, but look at you," he wrote.

Clement and Dumi met while filming for Skeem Saam and Rhythm City and became close friends, even once travelling together to visit Clement's family in Limpopo together.

Clement told SowetanLIVE's sister publication TshisaLIVE shortly after Dumi's death in 2017 that if he had one more moment with his friend he would most likely spend it listening to the star sing for him. "I would say thank you. He came into my life and played an important part in it. I won't forget him," Clement added.