Zachariah, a young South African man, comes to Johannesburg, having been forced out of his KwaZulu village in southeast South Africa by famine. He arrives at the mines, sent by officers who are recruiting workers. The other workers, however, tell him that the city will not allow him to work unless he has a permit. He is told there are many different permits that blacks in South Africa need to obtain to be able to live and work in Johannesburg and these permits are not easy to come by. He cannot find work without a pass and he cannot get a pass without work. Zachariah must learn the intricate methods of living as a black man in Johannesburg as he goes from job to job while trying to find a home for his wife and children. To find his way, he also has to learn the culture and politics of Sophiatown, a vibrant but impoverished slum. There he meets some of the young blacks fighting for equality at a shebeen—the secret and illegal meeting places for social drinking and conversation. His wife Vinah and children soon join him in town but it is illegal for them to share a room, even though they are married. They are caught and Zachariah must go to jail.