Tabla de contenidos para Issue 342 2025 en The Big Issue

2025 is showing us flames with everything that's happening nationally and internationally. Narrow nationalism and crude racial stereotypes are responsible for a lot of the trouble we see in the world. Come September and October, nature offers us a little respite, with beautiful spring days when we can go outside to breathe, walk, refresh, and the ultimate luxury of seeing flowers everywhere. If not in nature, then definitely in the gardens we can cultivate at home. I remember people's gardens in the little town I grew up in. Everyone had one no matter the size of their front yard. Dahlias, roses, sweet peas, daisies, hydrangeas (better known as Krismisrose/Christmas roses), hedges heavy with creepers. An annual garden competition ensured the biggest dahlia heads and the cutest little lawns. Everyone took…

In many South African communities, mental illness is widespread but seldom discussed. For those in lower-income areas, daily life is shaped by stress, trauma, unemployment, and violence – all of which increase the risk of mental health issues. Yet, seeking treatment, especially medication, is often seen as a sign of weakness, failure, or even madness. As a community pharmacist, I witness this daily. Patients arrive with prescriptions for antidepressants or anxiety medication, but hesitate at the counter. “I'm not crazy,” they say, or “Isn't this for people in Valkenberg?” Their words are shaped by deep-rooted stigma – not just about mental illness, but especially about taking pills for it. “DON'T TELL ANYONE” In low-income communities, mental illness is still associated with shame. People are told to pray it away, toughen…

With only 40% of wastewater treated effectively, and landfills nearing capacity, South Africa faces an increasing waste management crisis. The combination of illegal dumping, landfills scheduled to run out of space by 2030, and the dysfunctionality of waste treatment plants means dangerous sewage is contaminating our ground water, rivers, and oceans. Used cooking oil and animal fats (Fats, Oils and Greases – FOG) pose a particular challenge in our waste streams because they deplete oxygen levels in water systems, carry other contaminants, are slow to degrade, and disrupt entire aquatic food systems. Beyond going into waste streams, some fats and oils in South Africa are purchased for export, animal feed, and illegal reuse for human consumption in low-income communities. Used cooking oil is filtered, bleached, rebottled and sold as “fresh”…

As the global demand for sustainable travel surges, travellers now seek eco-friendly options, and the seasonal Namaqua Flower Beach Camp is setting a new standard for sustainable travel. Every year, the Namaqualand wildflower bloom transforms the arid coast into a living tapestry as thousands of endemic species burst into colour across one of the most biodiverse floral regions on earth. But this beauty is fleeting, fragile, and entirely dependent on balance in the natural world. At Namaqua Flower Beach Camp, the flowers aren't just a backdrop, they are a reminder of why sustainability matters. Their very existence hinges on clean water, undisturbed soil, and unspoiled pollinator pathways. Operating for only four weeks each spring when Namaqualand blooms in spectral colours, this SANParks-sanctioned seasonal camp is far more than a scenic…

I'm The Woman Who Runs With Her Pack of Wonderfully Delightful Beasties, or at least try really hard to keep up with them, our lively, multi-species home makes for quite a wild life, and often comedic household. Family dynamics on a whole other level. I love how different each one of these creatures is. I am so grateful that I get to share my love and life with them. In turn, this has allowed me to bear witness to who they fully are, blooming in their own ways. Animals are just as layered as people are. And how amazing it is that they keep teaching us more about themselves, as well as showing us more of who we truly are. Our fur and feathered babies, past and present, continue to…

Corner Dock and Buitengracht streets Vendor: Ntombovuyo Cekiso Vendor number: 3035 Ntombovuyo Cekiso lives in Khayelitsha. She comes from a family of six: her mother, a pensioner in the Eastern Cape; two sisters at Westlake College; one unemployed brother; her child, and sister's child. Her child lives with her mother in the Eastern Cape, while her sister's son stays with her. Ntombovuyo is the breadwinner in her family. She also supports her aunt, brother and her two sisters who are at college, as bursaries are a problem. She has registered her sister's son with the Spirit Foundation Big Issue Saturday School, and he is improving in maths literacy. Ntombovuyo has been selling the magazine for 13 years and is one of the best-selling vendors. She aims to improve her sales…

“Giving children a healthy start in life, no matter where they are born or the circumstances of their birth, is the moral obligation of every one of us.”– Nelson Mandela For 67 years, GBTSA has been transforming the lives of vulnerable youth and strengthening South African society. Established in 1958, GBTSA has been at the forefront of child and youth care, providing holistic and innovative interventions that empower young people to overcome life's challenges and become active, positive contributors to their communities. Over nearly seven decades, GBTSA has directly and indirectly supported an average of 1,074 youth annually, with a ripple effect extending to over 12,526 individuals in just the past two years. This includes children, youth, social workers, and educators, each touched by evidence-based programmes designed to build resilience,…

Johannes C Wolfaardt, a 40-year-old motivational speaker and author from Bloemfontein, survived what many wouldn't. Abuse. Rejection. Trauma. He lived through it all and now speaks to men across South Africa about healing, honesty, and survival. “My life wasn't easy,” he says. “But God uses my story.” Johannes was born on 19 November 1984 in the former Transvaal. His mother was pressured into two abortions by his father. Both failed. When she refused a third, his father beat her in the stomach. She thought she had lost him until, after three days of stillness, she felt him move again. Violence was his first language. By age four, his father was beating him regularly. Only Sundays were spared. “He said it was God's day. A day of rest.” They lived in…

I have noticed that I've grown more fearful in how I speak and how I move through the world. I was always cautious. Now, worry leads the way. I carry the weight of wanting to bring joy and safety to everyone I meet. We've all heard those warnings about kindness – you never know what someone is facing – and that advice has me afraid I might do harm in a simple moment. So, I move with caution. Each time I buy a train ticket I stand before that thick pane of glass. I tiptoe up, press my face close as if I'm an amateur lip-reader, and strain to catch the clerk's muffled answer. I lean in until I feel ridiculous, waving my hands like I'm decoding secret signals. Then…

Nataan ‘Chef Nate’ Smith and Heinrich ‘Chef H’ Koen break bread with us today. I can't contain my excitement! If there is one thing I've learnt, it is that life itself and dreams aren't always linear. The pathway isn't always clear. From the starting line, we can't always see the finish line; or what the destination is going to look like. And that, my friends, is more than okay. Chef Nate, as he will jokingly mention, grew up in a ‘penthouse’ apartment. In the blokke of Heideveld. Being raised by a single, unemployed mum, Nate, being the eldest of four, assisted with the daily struggle of providing food. His mum often knitted jerseys and did clothing alterations to earn some money. Their community and his grandmother shared plates of food.…

Email elainemillin.art@gmail.com to buy an artwork featured here, donate materials, or to find out more about the programme.…

Amid widespread gender-based violence in South Africa, Mmathabo Sukati's exposé offers hope to abused women. Her sad yet captivating life story provides a voice to the forgotten women. Those destined for bitter defeat, yet finding the resolve to triumph over unfathomable adversity. A 15-year-old girl from a small Mpumalanga town was forcibly removed from school and married off as a second wife to a man 24 years her senior. Her mother, the protagonist in this epic tragedy, could no longer contend with the misery heaped onto their family by an alcoholic husband and an older brother who mimicked his father's ways. She thought she was doing her daughter a favour. As his first wife was barren, Mmathabo was going to become – in her own words – a baby-making machine.…

This year marks the 10th annual Garden Day, taking place on Sunday 12 October 2025. The perfect excuse to make flower crowns, greet your loved ones with a cheerful “Happy Garden Day!” and gather your friends and family for a garden get-together. From the squelch of soil between our fingers, and the chirping of birds, to the scent of herbs, gardens bring us so much joy. They also work wonders for our well-being: easing stress, soaking up vitamin D and keeping us active as we mulch, pot, and prune. Short on space? Vertical gardening takes green spaces upward, with the sky as the limit. These space-saving, water-efficient gardens reduce city noise, improve airflow for plants, and look incredibly chic in the process. Meanwhile, the health perks are endless. From the…

I am always interested in the origins of things and of ideas. I wonder if the term ‘heritage’ was frequently used, if at all, in the early days of making the District Six Museum (D6M). When I joined its staff in 2000, the power of memory was at its core. It had become known for its empowering memory work, and for its commitment to creating an enabling space for the telling of stories and the reclaiming of an erased history. The title of the late Don Mattera's autobiography Memory is the Weapon made sense to all involved, as they even mobilised memory in support of their land claim. It was a time when organisations and projects that had previously operated outside of State structures, particularly in the heyday of the…