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A new initiative to unify private cannabis clubs to lobby for legal recognition has just been launched. The South African Cannabis Clubs Alliance (SACCA) says the time is critical for the private club movement to speak with one voice ahead of the anticipated release of draft regulations that will empower the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act.

5 August 2025 at 13:30:00

Brett Hilton-Barber, Cannabiz Africa

SACCA has established a platform for private cannabis club owners and stakeholders to work together as a lobby group to ensure the Government passes legislation that will recognize self-regulated clubs to be specifically included in future legislation. Spokesperson Bertie van Jaarsveldt (pictured here) stresses that SACCA’s intention is to provide a foundation for dialogue and action for private clubs without wanting to claim to represent the industry.

 

Cannabis industry at a 'pivotal moment'


"The cannabis industry in South Africa finds itself at a pivotal moment,” says van Jaarsveldt. “Without coordinated action, cannabis clubs — many of which are operating responsibly and transparently — risk being excluded or criminalised in upcoming legislation. SACCA offers a unified voice to protect what’s already working and ensure the law evolves in the right direction.”

 

He says SACCA’s formation came after a series of discussions between various cannabis clubs across the country about how to operate in the absence of clear legislaton.

 

“As these clubs engaged with each other, it became clear that despite different models of operation, they shared the same challenges and aspirations. This collaboration laid the foundation for SACCA to become a truly national, inclusive platform that unites clubs of all types and regions under a common voice.”  

 

SACCA, recently launched its website, and is calling on all clubs, cultivators, service providers, legal advisors, and cannabis-friendly citizens to unite and push for a legislative framework that recognises Cannabis Clubs as legitimate, self-regulated entities operating under the constitutional right to privacy and freedom of association.

 

Regulations are imminent, so timing is crucial


The attempt to unify private clubs is not new. There have been several attempts in the past to get an association off the ground but none of these gained enough critical momentum. So what’s different this time around?

“Previous attempts to form a national association faced challenges because the community was fragmented, and the legal landscape was too uncertain — many were hesitant to step forward without clear direction” responds van Jaarsveldt.


“What makes this different is the timing: with regulations imminent, there is now an undeniable urgency and common understanding that if we do not organise and represent ourselves proactively, we risk being excluded entirely from future legislation. SACCA provides the framework for this unified effort at exactly the moment it is needed most.”


SACCA’s launch does come at a time of mounting pressure on authorities to draft regulations to combat the growing cannabis retail ‘Grey Zone’, the omniglot of thousands of unlicensed businesses dealing in cannabis across the country. To date, conflicting court decisions have cast clubs into a legal ‘no man’s land’ where the best they can strive for in terms of compliance, is to be ‘technically’ not illegal.

 

The legal confusion has been intensified by the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill 2024, which although allows the personal consumption of cannabis in private, it criminalizes commercial transactions. The Act itself still has to be ‘operationalized’ pending public input on the regulations that will empower it. Although the Act makes no reference to private cannabis clubs, over 100 clubs in the country have adapted provisions of the law and court rulings to craft a mechanism for consenting adults to consume cannabis privately.

 

Ongoing uncertainty is stifling


By and large, such clubs appear to have been left alone by SAPS, but prosecutions of private club owners have taken place, mostly in KwaZulu Natal. Nonetheless, even ‘compliant’ clubs face the risk of closure, extortion and arrest while SAPS awaits the long-promised news cannabis arrest guidelines from the NPA.

 

"This ongoing uncertainty has not only stifled entrepreneurship but placed both consumers and club operators at risk" says Van Jaarsveldt, who is urging private cannabis clubs and supporters to pull together ahead of the public comment on the Cannabis Act regulations which is expected later this year.

 

At this stage, SACCA is being administered independently to establish the initial platform and create a space for open collaboration. The goal is to bring together as many experts, stakeholders, and community voices as possible to shape the direction of the alliance. As the community engages, we fully intend for SACCA to be governed by collective input, with working groups and leadership formed transparently to ensure its long-term success as a truly representative national body.  

 

SACCA hopes to offer stakeholders a unified voice and a platform that will:

 

● Submit a national policy position paper to relevant government ministries and departments, regulators and parlement

● Host public and private roundtables with legal experts and lawmakers

● Launch a media campaign to shift public narratives and dispel misconceptions

● Advocate for licensing models that are inclusive, accessible, and community-based

 

“South Africa has a long and rich cultural history with cannabis,” says Van Jaarsveldt. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a local industry that’s ethical, safe, and truly African — not captured by corporate interests or exclusionary regulation. The law is changing — if we don’t help shape it, we will be shaped by it."

 

Check out the  new SACCA website (sacca.org.za) for:

 

● Club registration and alliance membership

● A proposed Code of Compliance to self-regulate clubs ethically and transparently

● Educational resources and legal templates

● Public updates, advocacy strategies, and access to a national forum


To register for alliance membership and/or to make contact with Bertie van Jaarsveldt visit: www.sacca.org.za

 

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SACCA: New Private Club Movement Launched as Pressure Mounts for Legal Recognition

SACCA: New Private Club Movement Launched as Pressure Mounts for Legal Recognition

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