There is no sign of Boity Thulo's booty in this year's Naked Issue of Marie Claire, but there will still be plenty of skin when the magazine hits the shelves.

In aid of Blow the Whistle, the issue features 35 local celebrities in the nude. It is beauty with a purpose – to garner support for victims of rape and abuse.

Last year, when presenter-actress Thulo tweeted a photo of her shapely derrière from the naked issue, public reaction when into overdrive.

Editor Aspasia Karras promises that this issue is the most powerful yet.

''We are all vulnerable and naked in the face of the high rate of violent and sexual crime in South Africa against women and children," she said.

"This campaign aims to give a voice to the many thousands who suffer daily. Our aim is simple: to raise awareness and allow those who are victims to feel safe and come forward and speak up."

Among those who have taken it all off for a good cause are award-winning songbird Lira; screen stars Pearl Thusi and Masasa Mbangeni; comedians Angel Campey and Shimmy Isaacs; cricket player JP Duminy and his wife, Sue; and rockers from the group Taxi Violence.

The Blow the Whistle campaign has developed a smartphone app that incorporates a panic button and a journey-monitoring function.

This allows users to upload details of their journey and the length of time it should take them to get to their destination.

If the timer runs out without the journey being cancelled or extended, a notification will be sent to the user's nominated guardians, along with GPS co-ordinates.

Picture credit: timeslive