South of Happy traces the life of Khanya, who was born in England in 1971 to Rhodesian parents. When their country gains independence from Britain in 1980, the family move back to the Southern African country of Zimbabwe, and Khanya struggles to find acceptance in an environment filled with hostility. The book chronicles the family's journey to making a life for themselves in the new Zimbabwe, as seen through Khanya's eyes. Tragedy strikes the family when her father is brutally murdered for his political views, and Khanya's world changes yet again as her mother sinks into depression. As Khanya grows into womanhood, the Zimbabwean economy starts to falter, and the family is torn apart once again as Khanya, newly married, makes the move across the border to Johannesburg in the beginning of what would be an exodus of millions seeking economic refuge outside the country. In the bustling South African city, Khanya tries to pick up the pieces and build a home together with her husband, battling to rise above the many ensuing challenges.