Table of contents for Issue 341 2025 in The Big Issue

We ensure that three vendors receive R2,000 for home improvement every month. A working relationship is formed with hardware stores to ensure material availability and budget accountability. During stormy and rainy days, some vendors’ roofs and windows can be blown away or break. Floors are cracked or broken, while water flooding their homes damages floors and furniture. The vendors are enormously appreciative of the Spirit Foundation for their help as it improves the quality of their lives. As the vendors’ homes become more comfortable, they able to be at their selling pitches without having to worry about the vulnerability of their homes.…

The high-level dialogue on Reimagining Democracy in Africa: Comparative Experiences from the Global South concluded last month after two days of powerful deliberations, urgent reflections, and a strong call to action from African and Global South leaders, scholars, activists, and policymakers. Hosted by International IDEA, in collaboration with the Open Society Foundations, African Union, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of the government of South Africa, the convening brought together over 200 participants to explore pathways toward inclusive and resilient democratic futures. Held in the lead-up to South Africa’s G20 presidency in November, the dialogue came at a critical moment. Democracy across Africa and the Global South is under increasing pressure from economic recession, surging populism, military takeovers,…

You’ve seen it happen. You pour your heart into a message, hit send and then, nothing. The blue ticks pop up, but the reply never comes. It’s a digital cold shoulder that’s all too familiar to South African teenagers, not just in WhatsApp chats, but in real life too. Across the country, young people are speaking up about what matters to them: safety, mental health, jobs, decent food, a sense of purpose. But too often, they feel ignored. Some teenagers are working hard to change the narrative. Through platforms like the African Children’s Summit, Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament, National Children’s Dialogue, Web Rangers, and Hold My Hand through Keready, they’re sending a clear and urgent message to government, civil society, and the private sector: start listening and start doing something.…

PressureTo be the best and do better than the restAiming for As in every testComparing yourself to the girl whose marks are “perfect”For school seems to have become one big contestA place for the gifted and academically blessed So many of us are becoming depressedBecause we didn’t get that 80%But what if I were here to suggestThat you need not do better than your best?See, striving for perfection is an unrealistic questIt makes us envious and leaves us upset I know we all want to one day drive a fancy car or own a private jetBut I think it’s time to give our goals a resetAnd quit comparing ourselves to other people’s success whenWe’re not there just yet I want you to see yourself as your biggest rival and greatest…

The 2025 KAP sani2c trail delivered one of the most powerful stories in the event’s two-decade legacy, as Team Change of Heart completed the 265 km stage race with high spirits and hearts full of meaning. At the centre of this achievement was 20-year-old Pedro Basson, now the youngest known heart transplant recipient in South Africa to complete a multi-day mountain bike race. But Pedro wasn’t riding alone. Alongside him was 56-year-old Billy Macleod, who completed his second sani2c since receiving a donor heart, making this the first known team of two heart transplant recipients to conquer one of the country’s toughest stage races; a feat that captured national attention and delivered a powerful message of second chances. Pedro and Billy, riding as part of Team Change of Heart, were…

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

Winter has shown up the shortfalls in our communities again. Streets turned into rivers because the drains weren’t cleaned before winter struck. Badly built buildings collapsing under the strain of the heavy downpours. Parking lots overflowing because no one had the foresight to add proper drainage to the plans. Informal settlements are turned into water wastelands where stagnant water will lead to health risks and environmental problems. Mandela Month brought about thousands, if not millions of blankets, but it fails to address the underlying problem of spatial inequality. It’s plastering over the real issue: poverty. It’s a noble endeavor, but it should at its heart have civil society petitioning municipalities to do better. It should hold government accountable to do away with squatter camps and ensure the building projects are…

They are loose. They drink alcohol and use drugs and have sex with older men for money. They also have bad attitudes, are immoral, and don’t listen to their parents. And that’s why these “wrong girls” end up pregnant. We found these deeply embedded beliefs about teenage pregnancy in our research in two communities in the North West and KwaZulu-Natal. Largely seen as a moral crisis, adolescent girls and young women are blamed and shamed – and that ends up affecting how they are treated, the support they receive, and their ability to access critical health services. But placing the burden of responsibility on teenage girls hasn’t helped reduce the number of teenage pregnancies. In fact, rates increased significantly in all provinces between 2017 and 2021, with births increasing by…

More than 50 years ago, as a young trainee, I learnt a valuable lesson from two vastly different supervisors. One reacted with anger when expectations weren’t met; the other simply said, “Better tomorrow than today.” That calm, forward-looking mindset stuck with me – and it reflects the heart of this piece. The leader who believed in progress rather than perfection earned my trust and motivated me to give my best. This brings me to a philosophy I believe all can benefit from: the Japanese concept of Kaizen – not just in individuals, but in teams, companies, and even entire nations. In a world often obsessed with quick fixes and grand gestures, the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen offers a refreshing and highly effective alternative: steady, incremental improvement. It’s a concept that…

In the quiet of her home studio in Cape Town, Narique Sangster moves her hands through clay the way some people move through prayer – slowly, intentionally, without the need for explanation. Hers is a practice shaped by intuition, but also by something far older: a call to true freedom. “I didn’t wake up one day and decide to become a ceramicist,” says Narique. “But I’ve always been seeking to deepen my sense of freedom in any way I can. The freedom to think what I like, to create as I feel, and to live and move with sovereignty.” Narique’s creative life began with words. An experienced copywriter and independent creative, she has long worked in Cape Town’s advertising world while gradually making room for more personal, introspective work –…

MAKE A VENDOR’S WISH COME TRUE Contact us at placements@bigissue.org.za if you think you can be of assistance. V&A Breakwater Entrance 6 Vendor: Peter Hoshe Vendor number: 2348 Peter Hoshe (54) stays in Gugulethu with his partner, niece and grandchildren. The grandkids attend crèche in Gugulethu and are transported by a school bus. He is the only person who earns an income in his household and is responsible for its maintenance. Peter is one of the vendors who has benefitted from The Big Issue Home Improvement Project and that has paid for his house’s ceiling replacement. Peter has been selling The Big Issue magazine for 19 years and is well known at his pitch at the Waterfront Mall. Wish list: He wishes for assistance with getting new spectacles. Peter has…

Each winter in South Africa brings a wave sick patients seeking fast relief from colds and flu. While the two illnesses share similarities, their impact and treatment differ significantly. As a pharmacist, I often see people reaching for the wrong remedies or combining medications unsafely. Here’s what to do instead. COLD VS. FLU Both are viral respiratory infections, but are caused by different viruses and affect the body in distinct ways. The common cold starts gradually with a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and perhaps a mild cough. Adults rarely develop a fever, but kids might. You may feel under the weather but can go about daily life. Influenza (flu) is more intense. It typically hits hard and fast, with a sudden fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, headache, dry cough,…

As a driver of both cultural identity and economic growth, the arts sector plays a vital role in building a resilient and inclusive economy. Jo’burg is referred to as the business capital of South Africa, while Cape Town is seen as the creative capital of the country, with the arts, in all forms and genres, thriving here. This is evident in the bustling and vibrant arts, theatre and entertainment scene, leaving local and international audiences spoilt for choice when visiting the Mother City. Afrikaans arts festivals in the Western Cape, for example, are flourishing, reporting as much as up to 75% sold-out shows, better attendance and, most importantly, increased revenue. Considering the dire economic climate, what makes this success possible? It could be attributed to various factors such as a…

During the colder seasons we have to be more mindful of our health and that of our beloved Beasties. Since healthcare has become so expensive, for humans and animals alike, I am sharing with you what works for me and my Beasties. As I have a combination of oldies and young ones, it’s important that I am aware of their specific needs. Tallulah, one of the young ones, is affected by the change of season. That affects her sinuses, which is managed as holistically as possible. That means herbal and homoeopathic remedies, which work. It may take a bit longer because the cause is addressed, not just treating the symptoms. This by no means negates the role of vets, or allopathic medication when needed. When it comes to the health…