By Azanian Ronin

On October 27, 2024, the Other Foundation released a report called “Size Matters” which was meant to shed light on the size and impact of the LGBTI market in South Africa.

“The Other Foundation is an African trust that advances equality and freedom in southern Africa with a particular focus on sexual orientation and gender identity”

They/she/them do not list who their donors are however they/them/she/he received R33 million in donations in the 2024 year.

No sign of who/what/we the donors are.

The Size Matters Report also includes an acknowledgement as follows (Note the Global Consultancy is never named):

Also contributing is IPSOS which is an international firm that does market research and polling.

“At Ipsos we believe our clients need more than a data supplier, they need a partner who can produce accurate and relevant information and turn it into actionable truth. This is why our passionately curious experts not only provide the most precise measurement, but shape it to provide True Understanding of Society, Markets and People”

Accurate and relevant information…

According to the Size Matters report the South African LGBTI market is R250 billion…

The Mail & Guardian who is also listed as a partner of the Other Foundation simply copied and pasted the same headline – R250 billion

Business Day did the same and copied the R250 Billion story…

Times Live copied and pasted the R250 Billion story…

Now here’s the problem; that figure of R250 billion is wildly overestimated; its so grossly exaggerated it falls into the category of Disinformation…

Some context in order to compare:

• The total value of the coal industry in South Africa (Exports and Local Consumption) is more than R190 billion

• The total value of Exports under AGOA (African Growth and opportunities Act) exceeds R200 billion

• The total spend on Social Grants is about R232 billion (2023) across 19 million people

Therefore, according to the Other Foundation, IPSOS and the unnamed Global Consultancy the LGTBI market exceeds both the coal industry, AGOA and Social Grant expenditure…

Either the coal miners, the fruit exporters and vehicle manufacturer’s or all the Social Grant recipients are members of the LGTBI community or a significant portion or combination thereof; or this figure of R250 billion is made up…

Not a single journalist nor editor at either the Mail & Guardian nor the Business Day (joke right) bothered to check this data.

And then Mail & Guardian tweeted that this R250 billion figure was actually R250 million; considerably fewer zeros. So they retracted, sort off.

Journalism in South Africa. Supported by IPSOS and an unnamed Global Consultancy Firm.

* This article was originally published on Substack.

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