Honestly, not a lot of people appreciates the sight of beggars and homeless people on the street, maybe because they feel sorry for them or experience a major guilt-trip when they don’t reach for their pockets. Instead of complaining about it, an Irishman who had moved to Cape Town started a magazine in order to resolve this big issue in city dwellers’ lives and aptly called it The Big Issue.

The profit they make is theirs
The Big Issue street paper originally started up in the UK in 1991, the concept was adapted and in 1996 the magazine was launched in Cape Town. The idea behind it was simple. People who have no job can come to the Big Issue depot where they will be given five free copies and some training in order to sell the magazine. When the vendors come back they can buy more magazines for half prize and the profit they make by selling them on the street is theirs. A Code of Conduct makes sure that vendors are not allowed to drink alcohol while out on the job.

“Incredibly difficult for them to find jobs”
“In London the Big Issue project is more about combating homelessness, but here we are trying to combat unemployment,” says James Garner acting editor of the Big Issue in South Africa. “A lot of vendors come from townships like Gugulethu and Langa and live in shacks there. It is incredibly difficult for them to find jobs.”

Homeless Streetsoccer World Cup
The Big Issue writes references for vendors and tries to find work for them. The social wing of the project also provides art and writing classes. Of the 350 Big Issue vendors Meluxolo (Peace) Taliwe can be called a success story. Garner: “He was one of the players in the Big Issue soccer team that went to the Homeless Streetsoccer World Cup in Austria. Taliwe got to speak to people from different countries and saw that unemployment and poverty is everywhere not just in South Africa.” Garner said this had motivated him so much that literally within a few weeks after he got back he found himself a job as a shift supervisor.

“Frightening how quick you can end up in the street”
Another remarkable story is that of news reporter Owen Wolf who has been working for the Big Issue Magazine for four years, but began his career as a vendor. Garner: “He ended up in hospital and when he got out he could not pay the huge hospital bills. It is actually frightening how quickly you can end up in the street”.

“People buy the Big Issue because of its content”
The Big Issue has a circulation of 17.000 copies and has proved to be quite a popular magazine. According to Garner research has shown that a high percentage of The Big Issue readers trust the magazine’s reporting.
“The research also showed us that in order for this project to be sustainable the content of the magazine must also be worthwhile. People buy The Big Issue because of its content not only because they feel sorry for the vendor.”

A bit naughty
“On the cover we usually have a very striking graphic. We try to avoid Hollywood stars, because we want to stand out with a different cover,” says Garner. The Big Issue is also part of the Proudly South African Campaign and it tries to support local artist by covering 50% of all the reviews on South African music, arts, literature and films. The section "streets ahead" is entirely written by vendors and in general articles are written in a funny, entertaining and a bit naughty way. Garner: “We try to deal with serious matters in a humoristic way.”

“Some people regard us as beggars”
The Big Issue really does live up to its goal being a ‘stepping stone for employment’. Vendor Amanda Buyiswa proves that in the May issue of 2003: “Some people regard us as beggars, but I am proud to be a vendor because to me it is a real job”.