After his father's death and backing out of an arranged marriage, Nelson flees his village and heads to Johannesburg, where he continues his work as a underground revolutionary.

Mandela is finally released from prison but his liberation does not come without cost as he is unable to reconcile his marriage. With the country in a state of contention, Mandela is the only man who can unify a divided nation.

Despite personal financial hardship, Nelson takes on the grueling task of raising funds for the ANC. Once he ends up at Robben Island serving a life sentence, his friend Oliver keeps the struggle alive on the outside.