It focuses on the brutality of the apartheid system and how he escaped from it, and from the township Alexandra, to become a well-known tennis player.

It is technically illegal for Mark to play there, but the law is ignored and he becomes more comfortable with whites who frequent the Tennis Ranch.

Eventually renowned tennis player Stan Smith takes Mathabane under his wing when the two meet at a tournament.

The book Kaffir Boy has won the prestigious Christopher Award for inspiring hope.

It has also been chosen by the American Library Association for inclusion on the list of "Outstanding Books for the College-Bound and Life-Long Learners.