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.

Meet our Vendors • Monetary donations for appliances, as well as donations for clothing and furniture can go a long way for our Big Issue vendors.

Finding light in nature • Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s words on the power of individual light and action, these artists were invited to find images in nature that reflected something of their own inner qualities. From gardens and flowers, to trees, children and moments of joy, each work offers a personal reminder that even the smallest gestures can bring light to others.

The Art of Connection • How a chance encounter led to a cherished artwork and a lasting connection between a street vendor and a collector of local artworks.

A bunch of flowers

When helping hands and caring hearts come TOGETHER • Proudly supporting the Fikelela Child and Youth Care Centre

Adam's African journey • From dusty backroads and bustling cities to remote landscapes and unexpected encounters, Adam Jacobs is discovering Africa one pedal stroke at a time. As he continues his ambitious journey around the continent by bicycle, each stretch of road brings new challenges, people, and stories. In his latest instalment, Adam shares what life on the road is really like, and what he is learning along the way.

Why should we care about people we don’t know? • Why should we carry the burden of people we will never meet, whose names we do not know, whose faces we have only seen in print or on a screen?

Why emotional intelligence matters • New research is challenging the idea that academic ability alone determines a child’s future.

A needed response to breast cancer • Breast cancer remains one of the most significant health challenges facing women in South Africa, yet access to timely diagnosis and life-saving treatment is far from equal.

Director from the desert • When South Africans think of the country’s fi lm industry, they picture the studios of Johannesburg or the bustling production offi ces of Cape Town. Few would think of Kuruman.

Coincidence or algorithm: A small city story • Sometimes I wonder if social media can read my mind. I was thinking about a man who sold newspapers near where we live. The next thing I know, a photo I once took of him pops up on Facebook Memories. Here is my story about him.

Lessons from the Orange River system • South Africa’s water security depends on more than dams and rainfall. It requires careful planning, scientific research, and collaboration to ensure rivers can continue supporting communities, agriculture, industry, and biodiversity for generations to come.

The City of Hope has many doors — but who holds the master • A city can promise hope in a thousand pages. But hope becomes real only when it reaches the pavement.

Breastfeeding in South Africa needs a whole-of-society response • World Breastfeeding Week 2026, under the theme “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works”, calls on governments, communities, workplaces, health systems and families, to invest in proven support for breastfeeding.

Under the skin: A tattoo Q&A • Step behind the curtain of the tattoo studio and into the mind of a professional neo-traditional artist.

Queens of the Savanna • What a...