This gist demonstrates a simple-publisher and a simple-subscriber

publisher.py

import paho.mqtt.publish as publish

publish.single("bv_solutions/test", "payload", hostname="mqtt.eclipse.org")

subscriber.py

import paho.mqtt.subscribe as subscribe

topics = ['bv_solutions/test']

m = subscribe.simple(topics, hostname="mqtt.eclipse.org", retained=False, msg_count=1)

if m is not list:
    m = [m]

for a in m:
    print(a.topic)
    print(a.payload)