A day in the life of a poor cart driver in Dakar, known as "Borom Sarret" (the owner of the cart). He earns his living by transporting goods and people with his horse-drawn cart. The film portrays his daily struggle for survival in a city shaped by social inequality and the lingering effects of colonialism. As Borom Sarret moves from the poor neighborhoods into the wealthy administrative district of the Plateau, he enters a space where he is not allowed. Despite his hopes of improving his family's life, he repeatedly faces injustice, bureaucracy, and contempt from authorities. In the end, a policeman confiscates his cart, symbolizing institutional violence and the exclusion of the urban poor.