Beginning in the 1920's a certain number of Chinese discreetly entered South Africa from the mainland and lived a hard life under assumed names in order to disguise their illegal presence in the country. Later arrivals received ample help from their pioneering countrymen, and modest Chinese communities gradually took shape.
在一九二○年以後，有若干中國人從大陸偷渡到此，由於南非有排外思想，中國人到此屬非法，他們只好改名換姓，過著並不快樂的新生活。雖然日子苦，先鋒部隊對後來者仍傾囊相助，人不親土親，華人在南非逐漸由單打獨鬥演變為結社共存。