The boys are Norman Knox and Muntu Ndebele.  Also stars Jose Ferrer and Karen Valentine.
I just happened to remember this movie which I had taped off TV at one time, but since lost.  As I remember, the movie is notable only for the boys, especially little Norman Knox who is blonde, about 11, & spends a good amount of time going about in shorty shorts.  Really cute legs.  A couple other cute scenes involving the after effects of a spanking by Ferrer,  ending with the boys cooling their bottoms in the river.

A white orphan boy, Knox, becomes close friends with a black boy, Ndebele, they have various playful adventures together,  Knox becomes very ill & the boys are sent to New York so that Knox can get medical care.  Cured (as I remember it) Knox and his friend return to Africa where more hazards await.  

I was very confused by the ending which seems to suggest that one of the boys dies, but its very ambiguous.

Here is the listing from your trusty Imdb:
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Oh hell, kick me.  When I did the first search for the movie at E! online I failed to note that the big glaring DVD sign had a tiny 'no' next to it.  Now I'm not even sure its on VHS!

I was hasty; sorry. damn. 

I'm not sure if I've seen this one,  it DOES sound familiar though.  There is another more recent movie with a similiar theme, black boy & white boy living in an exotic environment....  *scratches my head trying to remember*

Thanks.. thats great news.  The DVD is a bit expensive for me so I hope it makes it to TV.

There's a lovely story on that site which describes the search for Muntu Ndebele, who had disappeared into obscurity.

I didn't think the price looked bad - but unfortunately they don't ship outside South Africa...

What zone would a South African dvd be?  Maybe that's where the 3 is at.

Having friends in South Africa, perhaps they can be convinced to bring a copy of this on their next visit to the Riviera, since the dvd doesn't seem to be available for sale outside its country of origin.

This is an excellent film.

At the end of the film Jannie's grandmother appears. For fear of being separated, the two boys flee on their donkey and they are trapped in very cold conditions. Tsepo rescues Jannie at the cost of his own life. It was filmed very hastily, perhaps for budgettary reasons? There are numerous other inexplicable scenes. Seasoned spectators take them for granted of course.
I arrived at 6 out of 10 for this film. It offers enough entertainment to compensate for its weaknesses.
In the picture Jannie lends his trousers to Tsepo when it is his turn to receive caning.

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