Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) is a young kid and a gang leader in the outskirts of Johannesburg, who kills for money and who’s life has no meaning beyond survival. His mother died of Aids, his father left him, and he views Joburg, the only world he knows, as a hunting ground. Despite his young age, he's already showing viciousness and extreme violence. His nickname means "thug" in the local language. He doesn't let anyone close, not even his crew, his friends. One night, in desperation, he shoots a woman in a middle-class suburb and steals her car. But later, he makes a shocking discovery in the backseat – a cute baby. Instantly his life takes a 360 degree turn leading him down a path to redemption and giving him hope for a better future. Rather than leave it, or dispose of it, he smuggles the child to his shed in the crime ridden part of town. For the first time, he must think of someone other than himself. He has ho idea of babysitting and dares not to share his secret with anyone, except Miriam, (Terry Pheto), a loving mother who helps Tsotsi nurture the baby and who eventually becomes one of the catalysts for his redemption.