The book examines the perception of people from Africa through the relationship between the Union of South Africa and the International Labour Organization (ILO). This institution, newly established under the League of Nations, was tasked with ensuring social justice as a prerequisite for peace in the world. The labor market in Southern Africa was far from such justice. Given the limited supply of labor, forms of coercion and questionable contracts prevailed, which the ILO sought to address with international conventions. While colonial states could rely on exceptions in their colonies, South Africa - as a de facto independent state - had to fully adopt the conventions. Consequently, it represented a special case, even though its economic structure was paradigmatic in many areas.