Highlights from our news service

Vendors in the birthday edition
of The Big Issue South Africa

For The Big Issue South Africa's 15th Anniversary Edition, vendors from around the world sent a special message. By asking vendors from colleague street papers what the word 'birthday' means to them, The Big Issue South Africa managed to engage its readers and show them just how big the street paper movement is. Or, as the street paper's editor puts it: "Although far flung, we're a close-knit family."

Our special report from India was highly popular with street papers worldwide. More than 30 articles were republished in 21 different street papers in Germany, Serbia, Czech Republic, Poland, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, USA and Norway.

A story about the difficulties faced by gay asylum seekers in South Africa shocked readers in other African countries. South Africa may have the most progressive constitution to protect sexual orientation in Arica, but gay asylum seekers' dreams of freedom often turn into nightmares when they discover the yawning chasm between the liberal ideals of South Africa's Constitution and harsh reality.