The Big Issue

High quality, varied and entertaining content for readers across age, culture, religion, gender and other demographics. Stories include reporting on local and international happenings with a ‘bigger issue’ about an individual, and unusual news or events that impact us all. The Big Issue shares in-depth interviews with local and international celebrities, artists, change-makers and thought leaders. It also focuses on local people or organisations committed to making positive changes in society – intent on finding innovative ways to effect change.

The Big Issue SA

Visions of the future

MIGRANT CRISES

WORD ON THE STREET • While South Africans currently experience extreme challenges, so too does the rest of the world. Our membership organisation, The International Network of Street Papers (INSP), is made up of street publications around the world, which includes The Big Issue South Africa. The INSP Global News Round Up (2022) summarises key stories featured in street publications around the world. Here are some highlights.

There's little doubt – BEE needs a rethink • Chris Bishop is a veteran journalist and the founding editor of Forbes Africa and Billionaire Tomorrow. He describes the process he went through writing his book, which questions the impact of one of the biggest economic experiments in Africa that began a quarter of a century ago: black economic empowerment.

Five Minutes with David Viviers • You may know the face. David Viviers is one of South Africa's well-known actors, but now he is a published author too. And his writing is every bit as good as his acting.

Grace Tame: advocate, author, survivor • Grace Tame will not be silenced. In 2019, she won the right to tell her story of being abused by her mathematics teacher when she was a teenager. Since then, she has used her voice to advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse. In conversation with The Big Issue Australia, Grace tells her story of surviving abuse and becoming an advocate with intelligence, spark and wit.

SEERS AND VISIONARIES • What do you make of oracles and their future prophecies?

DIE SIENER'S VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE

BABA VANGA PREDICTIONS

Female bouncers • Nigeria's female bouncers show their strength fighting stereotypes

Little issue

The issue with pregnant learners … • Pregnant learners need creches and compassion to keep them in school says Nirvana Pillay, Visiting Researcher at the Wits School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand.

Tightening the noose on corrupters • Raymond Joseph investigates the crime of how Lottery money was used to fund mansions for high flyers. Success stories from South Africa's Prevention of Organised Crime Act do exist. Here, five luxury properties connected to misappropriated Lottery grants have been frozen by the Asset Forfeiture Unit

LEGEND OF THE LENS • Eminent South African photographer Obie Oberholzer, former professor of photography at Rhodes University's Department of Fine Art, now travels extensively and produces quirky pictorial travel books; no mean feat in a country ravaged by many wrongdoings. His latest book, Happysadland (HPH Publishers) is out now.

BULLETPROOF – SHOOTOUT IN RUNDA, NAMIBIA 1989

ABOUT OBIE

Providers of goods and services beware • Legalese has historically weaponised itself with ambiguous wording and vague language – fine print is a tradition that has left ordinary people ignorant. But did you know? Our Consumer Protection Act (68 of 2008) safeguards against this.

Queen B • The audience is in on Beyoncé's world-building the same way we watch a film. We know it is made-up but we want to believe it's real – or at least go along with it for the ride.

WHAT'S ON? • Entertainment listings for kids and adults in Gauteng...