The Big Issue Magazine

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Derek Carelse, Desireé Johnson, Gadija Gamieldien, Marlinee Chetty Managing Director: Derek Carelse Advertising, Fundraising & CSI: Derek Carelse Email: derekcarelse@mweb.co.za Office Administrator: Penelope Hawker-Mdingi Finance:

The GTG ‘universe’ is quite a vast one. I have the website, which is the big guy, where all the incredible stories live. It’s the go-to for everything good in South Africa. That content is then posted to all of social media … Facebook, Twitter, Insta

Good Things Guy exploded onto the scene in 2015, thanks to Neknomination in 2014 — a viral drinking game that started in Australia and has since trended around the world. It revolves around a digital concept to do something silly such as downing a bo

The Big Issue is available from vendors in the suburbs of Cape Town, and from select Spar, CNA, and Pick n Pay stores nationwide. GET IN TOUCH! Email our social worker Tsephi at placements@bigissue.org.za Vendor name: Florence Godongwana Vendor numbe

One day out of the blue, a little after I turned 40, I found myself unable to go to work. I wasn’t having any issues with work or personal relationships, but rather it was as if my internal battery had died, my body couldn’t muster the strength to mo

I am Sameera Failla. I’ve been living in Switzerland for 21 years and I value my life here a lot. One may not expect that as I cannot express myself so well in German. Especially with some of the German pronunciations and sounds, which are still chal

SOURCE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE PENGUIN POST, A MAGAZINE FROM PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE SOUTH AFRICA. “It was a moment with actress Laura Linney that inspired me to write Oh William! Laura had played Lucy Barton in a one-woman show in London, and then

Lucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband — and longtime, on-again-of

SOURCE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE PENGUIN POST, A MAGAZINE ABOUT BOOKS FOR BOOK LOVERS, FROM PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE SOUTH AFRICA. “Naspers is this century’s biggest business story, certainly for South Africans. One astute investment in a Chinese tech

Koos Bekker has amassed one of the largest fortunes ever by a South African. Just how did he do it? Under Bekker, Naspers made several bad investments, a few mediocre ones, a few good ones … and one that shot the lights out. A modest bet on Chinese t

1. Trust your instincts — that feeling in your tummy is a real 6th sense. 2. Follow your bliss. Do everything in your power to create happiness. 3. Make plans but be open to change. Nothing is set in stone. Change is also as good as a holiday. Rememb

A couple of things inspired the name of the book series around the time the first one, Remembering Elephants was published in 2015. Firstly, it was a quote from Sir David Attenborough (who allowed us to use it in the book), which was: “The question i

Two lucky readers will each win a hamper containing both games. Each hamper is valued at R2 100. To enter, email bradley.boult@mikatekomedia.co.za by 5 January 2023. *T&Cs apply. Instead of winning by competing with other players, everyone must work

Make your way to the V&A Waterfront to see what over 130 local designers, crafters, makers and artisans have in store this festive season. Recycled and upcycled materials will transform the V&A Waterfront into a wonderland that tells an African festi

The vendor art programme supports social development at The Big Issue. The healing and transformative aspects of art and colour develop confidence and reveal new talent and skill. I conduct one art session a month for our Big Issue vendors before the

I loved art and crafts as a child and art was always in the background of my life. I then worked in areas associated with art, advertising and design. Just before I turned 40, I had a recurrence of malignant melanoma in a lymph node. While waiting to