The late Namibian actor N!xau Toma became a beloved figure through his role in the blockbuster The Gods Must Be Crazy. Yet, despite the film’s tremendous success, he was paid only a small fraction of its profits.
Released in 1980, the movie grossed $40 million, which at that time was equivalent to KShs 400 million, which would currently be KShs 5.1 billion ($40 million). Despite this success, N!xau received only $300, which was KShs 3,000 then and now amounts to KShs 38,850.
A member of the San clan from the Kalahari Desert, he was discovered by director Jamie Uys and cast in the lead role of a comedy film set in Southern Africa. The story follows a tribe that finds a glass Coca-Cola bottle, fallen from an airplane, and believes it to be a divine gift from their gods.
Soon, the bottle sparked chaos within the clan, as everyone desired to claim it for themselves. The clan leader, Xi, portrayed by N!xau, decided to dispose of it at a place they believed to be the edge of the world. Along his journey, he encounters a bumbling biologist (Marius Weyers) working at Namibia National Park, a newly appointed village school teacher (Sandra Prinsloo), and a group of guerrilla terrorists. His adventure, filled with humorous incidents, unfolds in the 1 hour and 49-minute film.
The Namibian who spoke fluent Jul’hoan, Otjiherero, Tswana was unaware of his own age and had little experience of life outside his community before he shot to fame with his starring role in The Gods Must Be Crazy.
In fact all along N!xau has no idea that he was starring in a movie, as in a past interview before his death in 2003, he stated that he thought it was an interview and was extremely nervous. Further he noted that his experience was not smooth, as he was afraid and felt embarassed being in front of the camera.
He appeared in several other films but continued to receive only a fraction of the earnings. Due to the lack of proper representation, he did not fully understand contracts or currency which may have led to Uys taking advantage and paying him peanuts.
When his payday finally came, director Uys said he gave the star $300 for his first 10 days of work. However, since Toma didn’t grasp the value of the currency, he reportedly let the notes blow away in the wind.
His acting skills contributed to the success of sequel The Gods Must Be Crazy II and other films including Crazy Safari, Crazy Hong Kong, and The Gods Must Be Funny in China. After establishing his name, he eventually returned to Namibia to become a farmer, cultivating maize, pumpkins, and beans.
Tragically, he was found dead near his home in June 2003 after going out to collect firewood. At the time of his passing, Toma was estimated to be around 58 or 59 years old.