Xi and his fellow members of the San tribe lead a tranquil existence in the heart of the Kalahari Desert, far removed from the grasp of industrial civilization. This harmony is disrupted when a glass Coca-Cola bottle is unwittingly dropped from an airplane, landing intact on the ground. Initially, Xi’s people embrace the bottle as a divine gift, akin to the plants and animals that sustain them, delighting in its myriad potential uses. However, this singular object, unlike the generous offerings from their gods, spawns unexpected discord within the tribe. Disturbed by the growing rifts among his people, Xi resolves to undertake a significant pilgrimage to the world's edge to dispose of this contentious artifact.
As he embarks on this journey, Xi crosses paths with various intriguing characters. He meets Andrew Steyn, a biologist deeply invested in studying the local wildlife, accompanied by his assistant M'pudi, who also serves as a mechanic. They encounter Kate Thompson, a former journalist from Johannesburg turned village school teacher. Their adventure takes a darker turn when they learn about a band of guerrillas led by Sam Boga operating in the fictional state of Biryani, located northwest of Botswana. This group's violent tactics have resulted in the assassination attempts on government officials and have sent the military in pursuit.
The dynamics between Steyn and Thompson are particularly noteworthy, as Steyn clumsily navigates his attraction to her. On one occasion, their Land Rover becomes stuck in a river. In his effort to rescue Thompson from a thorny tree, Steyn inadvertently raises the vehicle high into the treetops, showcasing his lack of coordination. This misunderstanding becomes a source of humor for Thompson, who misinterprets his struggle with wild animals and the attempts to extinguish their campfire as flirtation. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when the snobbish safari guide, Jack Hind, intervenes, whisking Thompson away to the village while Steyn grapples with his feelings of inadequacy.
In a surprising twist, Xi encounters a herd of goats, mistakenly believing they are wild animals, and shoots one with a tranquilizer arrow. This incident leads to his arrest by the goatherd. However, through the advocacy of M'pudi, who understands Xi's language and background, a solution is reached. Instead of serving time, Xi is hired as a tracker for the remainder of his sentence and learns to navigate Steyn's Land Rover. Meanwhile, the unfolding chaos ensues when guerrillas invade Thompson's school, taking hostages, including Thompson and the children as they flee towards a neighboring country.
In a daring act of bravery, Steyn, M'pudi, and Xi, while engaged in their fieldwork, realize they are on the path taken by the attackers and the hostages. Utilizing their skills, they ingeniously immobilize six out of eight guerrillas with home-made tranquilizer darts crafted by Xi using a mini-bow. This clever tactic allows Thompson and the children to seize control of the situation and disarm their captors. Steyn and M'pudi work together to confront the remaining guerrillas, utilizing clever tricks, including scaring one with a snake and causing irritation to another through latex dripping from a tree during their intense confrontation.
Although they successfully execute a clever plan, when the dust settles, it is Hind who arrives to claim credit for the rescue, overshadowing the efforts of Steyn, M'pudi, and Xi, whose contributions went largely unnoticed.
Ultimately, after Xi's period of service comes to an end, Steyn pays him for his work, but having never encountered money before, Xi tosses it aside without a second thought. Steyn and M'pudi then take a trip to visit Thompson, where Steyn, eager to discuss his clumsiness in her company, ends up accidentally knocking over objects in an embarrassing series of misadventures. Despite his mishaps, Thompson finds his awkwardness charming, leading to a sweet and tender kiss between them.
At the climax of Xi's journey, he finds himself at the precipice of a cliff adorned with a thick blanket of clouds concealing the land below. Convinced that he has finally reached the threshold of the world, Xi tosses the glass Coca-Cola bottle over the edge, symbolically shedding the source of conflict and returning to embrace his tribe once more.
