On seeing Riaan’s story on television, Nelson Mandela personally requested a meeting with Manser, saying it was “a performance that will inspire the youth of the continent”. The Explorer’s Club in New York - whose members include the first man to reach the North Pole, the first to reach the South Pole, the top of Everest, the deepest point in the ocean & the first man on the moon – extended a special invitation to Manser to speak before its illustrious organisation.