Simon Reeve is distraught when he witnesses the Zimbabwean refugee crisis. He watches giant rats clear land mines in Mozambique and eats soup made from the penis of the Xebu (a type of ox). He visits a shanty town where thousands of impoverished Madagascans are digging for sapphires.
The first leg sees Simon Reeve crossing the beautiful landscapes of Namibia and Botswana. He has a close encounter with some hungry cheetahs and visits the world's largest diamond mine. He crosses the Kalahari Desert in search of the famous Bushmen, who claim they have been evicted from their ancient homelands.