Culture
Big Issue
Blood On Our Hands
Local celebrity Siv Ngesi poses the question: In a country where over a trillion rand has been illegally wasted by the elite in a single decade, are free sanitary products too much to ask?
5 min |
Issue 284
Big Issue
Beyond The Secret Elephants - Of Mystery, Elephants And Discovery
Beyond the Secret Elephants continues the story of Gareth Patterson’s eighteen years of research into the secretive Knysna elephants. It also reveals his startling discovery of a much more mysterious being than the elephants – a relict hominoid known to the indigenous forest people as the Otang.
4 min |
Issue 284
Big Issue
Couch Surfing 101
Looking to see the world and enjoy extraordinary experiences without breaking the bank? Angel Campey lets us in on her secret to travelling to places like New York City and Montreal on a shoestring.
4 min |
Issue 284
Big Issue
In the ring with Siv Ngesi
Actor, stand-up comedian and now Bollywood singer, Siv Ngesi is bubbly by nature. Whether boxing, supporting charities or jetsetting for work, he always maintains his charismatic smile and sunny disposition.
4 min |
Issue 284
Big Issue
‘Who needs a leg?'
When Thabo Dube lost his leg in an accident, his dreams seemed permanently shattered. but creativity kicked in and he began telling his story through the manufacture of leather bags.
4 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
Tracking Deon Meyer
He is currently the South African author whose name is on everybody’s lips. IRNA VAN ZYL managed to speak to the thriller writer Deon Meyer in between book launches, TV appearances and awards ceremonies.
4 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
Times of invention
Business Insider South Africa has named the most “exciting South African inventions” of the decade, and students, staff and alumni of the University of Cape Town (UCT) feature prominently on the list.
4 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
Ready Read Rise
Inspiring non-profit organisation Read to Rise is creating opportunities for children in impoverished South African communities to broaden their horizons through reading.
3 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
Patrick's purrfect love
Patrick Lupuzi was always a dog person, but when his wife brought a cat home from work one day, he opened his heart to felines too. This inspired him so much that he now works for an organisation that cares for feral cats at the University of the Western Cape.
3 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
Pangolins
Will they become the dodo of our generation?
4 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
My name is Sophia, I am a robot
Robots have arrived, but will they take over?
4 min |
Issue 283
Big Issue
Safety In The City
Crime is a constant issue in any metropolis. Luckily for us in the Mother City, there are dedicated people like Muneeb Hendricks who fight this scourge every day.
5 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
Restoring Dignity Through Forensic Art
Growing up in an era when television shows like MacGyver and Police File were at the height of their popularity, Kathryn Smith developed a deepseated fascination with forensic imaging. This unusual interest led her, fortuitously, to a career-defining opportunity.
4 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
Muslim-Friendly Destinations You Can't Miss
Muslim travel has seen a significant increase globally during the past decade. As one of the fastest-growing tourism segments, this travel spend is set to rise to US$300 billion by 2026, and South Africa can benefit from this.
3 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
The right to read
78% of Grade 4 learners in SA are unable to read with understanding. With 60% of South Africans living in households without a single book, The Big Issue has partnered with several players in early childhood learning to stem the tide of illiteracy.
5 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
The impossible return
Siona O’Connell’s Impossible Return, Cape Town’s Forced Removals brings to light the real stories of people who were forced to move from their homes in Harfield Village in the early 1970s. In this extract, we are introduced to Shannon Edwards who lived with her family in 1st Avenue, Harfield.
10 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
Forest Whitaker's peace ambassadors
Actor and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Forest Whitaker’s WPDI Youth Peacemaker Network programme is empowering Cape Flats youngsters to become agents of change and peace in their communities.
3 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
Brian's peace mission
Already a success in South Sudan, the US, Uganda and Mexico, the WPDI programme will help to break the stronghold of gangsterism on the embattled Cape Flats. Meet the man who designed it; a professor with roots in this neighbourhood.
3 min |
Issue 282
Big Issue
Malaria-Free Game Reserves For Families
Wondering what to do with young kids on a bush holiday and not keen on the hassles of malaria medication? LAUREN MCSHANE suggests child-friendly stays at malaria-free game reserves throughout South Africa.
4 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
Lift-Off!
Are you a nervous, new or frequent flyer? Here are four easy tips for the best flight ever.
3 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
Khayelitsha
A tourism hub in the Cape Flats, Khayelitsha lives up to its Xhosa name, ‘Our New Home’.
3 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
Hot Water
Donovan Copley, lead singer of the band Hot Water and father to three children, chats to us about his music and plans for the future ...
3 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
Forage & Feast
LAUREN MCSHANE joins wild food forager and educator, Roushanna Gray, founder of Veld and Sea in Cape Point, to forage for wild food in preparation for a delicious feast.
3 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
For The Love Of The Land - Being A Farmer In South Africa Today
Away from the heated political debates, For the Love of the Land by Ivor Price and Kobus Louwrens introduces South Africans to the unsung heroes of the agricultural industry. Here’s an extract written by Ivor, which focuses on the power of land to promote nation-building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.
9 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
A Sense Of Place
Not just the oldest game reserve in Africa, but also the oldest Zulu hunting ground, the HLUHLUWEIMFOLOZI PARK is a very special place to visit.
4 min |
Issue 281
Big Issue
Climate Warrior
Teenage climate change activist Lily Shaw shares why she is sacrificing her education to demand climate justice for her generation from those in power.
1 min |
Issue 280
Big Issue
Disruption To Stop Disaster
Extinction Rebellion Mzansi, a young, peaceful civil disobedience movement, is calling for the radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and support for South Africa’s most vulnerable.
3 min |
Issue 280
Big Issue
Climate Crisis _Oh? It affects me too?
On 20 September, thousands of young Capetonians added their voices to the call for the government and corporates to address the climate crisis. Climate change activist Alex Koopman explains how the youth want to be engaged on the issue.
4 min |
Issue 280
Big Issue
Greta The Great
Greta Thunberg has become a global face in the fight against the climate crisis through her school strike. On 15 March, she inspired students in 120 countries to do the same.
9 min |
Issue 280
Big Issue
Carbon Tax And The Underprivileged
The Carbon Tax Act, signed into law by the president in June 2019, aims to help shift the economy on a sustainable trajectory, curb environmental damage and stem pollution-related illnesses. But how exactly will it impact those on the poverty line?
5 min |