The main actor of “The Gods Must Be Crazy”, N!xau Toma, was only paid $300, even though the film produced in 1980 made over $60 million. He died a poor wretched bushman despite making millions of dollars for other people. He was hugely exploited at the negating table. In fact, he was merely told what was negotiated and he accepted with happiness. Africans have always been exploited.
The film is basically about the conflict between the new order and the old epoch: The Namibian tribal people in a remote African desert live a happy life, but it is all torn to pieces when a Coca-Cola bottle falls from a plane.The confusion and myth surrounding the strange object disorganized the bushmen as they made efforts to unravel the mystery object.
He died on 5th July 2003 after a bout with tuberculosis at the age of 59. He died a poor man because he was not only exploited but he lacked the necessary skills to even realised that he was exploited. He equally lacked the skills to manage well the little money he was paid for his appearances in various films because he did not know the value of paper money.
He had no formal education and came from a culture that did not value the material things that money could buy and consequently had not learned money management skills. After his film career ended in 2000, he returned to his village to build modern brick house with pipe borne water. He bought heads of cattle but not more than 20 because he simply could not count further than 20.
Yes he died poor after playing the lead role in a film that earned more than $60 million in revenue. Where else does it happen if not mostly in Africa?
Source: Zed Corner