South Africa, 1823. The Zulu Empire, headed by King Shaka, a brilliant but ruthless military strategist, begin to encroach on the British colony of Cape Town. A volunteer cadre of explorers, mercenaries and professional soldiers are sent to Zululand to try to make contact with Shaka and assess the real threat of his army.

A group of men are on safari. One of the party refuses to give a gift to a tribe they encounter. The tribe is offended, seizes the party, and one-by-one, kills all but one of the safari members in various creative and horrifying ways. The last surviving member is given "The Lion's Chance" by the tribal leader to be hunted down by a party of tribal warriors.

A young woman, Thembisile Khumalo is married to minister Zipho Khumalo. Thembisile is tired of the lifestyle the church offers and wants to go out and have fun. She soon meets troublemaker Johnny, brother to her friend Nancy. They fall in love and start an affair, which leads to a great deal of trouble.