The South African Cannabis Club Alliance (SACCA) announced on 19 April 2026,the expansion of its Joint Steering Committee to formally include representation from indigenous and traditional communities.
This strategic move marks a significant step toward building a more inclusive, representative, and community-driven cannabis industry in South Africa.
As part of this expansion, SACCA welcomes Zainodean “Humcumqua” Simmers, a senior Khoi San traditional leader, and Snoux Poswa, a cannabis strategist and development practitioner representing traditional leadership interests in the Eastern Cape.
Zainodean “Humcumqua” Simmers is the Presiding Senior Leader of the Cochoqua Blue Downs Royal House, representing the !Gham Khoisan people of the Western Cape. He is at the forefront of developing a constitutionally grounded, community-led model for indigenous economic empowerment and cultural restoration.
Through his leadership, Simmers is driving the establishment of a multi-sector Indigenous Heritage, Cultural, Agricultural, and Community Economic Development Hub in Blue Downs. This initiative integrates Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) with sustainable economic development, combining agriculture, cannabis compliance, food systems, cooperative enterprises, and community services into a single, self-sustaining ecosystem.
Working in partnership with organizations such as the Black Farmers Association of South Africa (BFASA), Grow One Africa, and other community-based initiatives, the model focuses on skills development, youth mentorship, food security, and market access. It includes structured pathways for legal cannabis cultivation and compliance, alongside agro-processing, cooperative ownership, and local enterprise development.
The initiative is projected to create over 70–100 sustainable jobs, support youth education programs, deliver feeding schemes for vulnerable communities, and generate multi-million rand annual turnover—while reinvesting surplus directly into community development and cooperative growth.
Simmers’ work represents a practical and scalable blueprint for integrating indigenous communities into South Africa’s emerging cannabis economy in a way that is legally compliant, culturally rooted, and economically inclusive.
Snoux Poswa is a cannabis strategist and development practitioner, a founding member of the Mpondoland Cannabis Belt Association (MCBA), and its first Secretary-General. He currently serves as Secretary of the Nyandeni Kingdom Cooperative, chaired by King Ndamase II, the coronated King of the Western Pondoland Kingdom.
In this role, Poswa plays a key part in bridging traditional leadership in the Eastern Cape with the emerging cannabis industry, its socio-economic landscape, and a growing network of partners engaged in the transformation of regulatory frameworks.
As Managing Director of the OR Tambo Cooperative Development Centre and Director of the Rural Township Cannabis Incubator (RTCI), he actively advocates for cooperative development, collective ownership, and the meaningful inclusion of Pondoland growers, agro-processors, and merchants in a well-regulated, accountable, and people-centred national and international cannabis economy.
This expansion reflects SACCA’s commitment to ensuring that the voices of indigenous and legacy growers are meaningfully included in the development of cannabis policy, governance frameworks, and operational models.
“The future of cannabis in South Africa must be built with the communities who have carried this plant through prohibition. Across the country, traditional leaders and community developers are already building real, scalable models for inclusion. By bringing this leadership into the Joint Steering Committee, we are strengthening our ability to develop frameworks that are not only compliant, but also equitable, culturally relevant, and inclusive,” said SACCA.
Public Call to Action: National Cannabis Survey
As part of its commitment to inclusive policy development, SACCA is calling on cannabis club members, growers, traditional communities, and the broader public to participate in the National Cannabis Survey, now live on the SACCA platform.
The survey is a critical tool designed to gather real-world insights from across South Africa’s cannabis ecosystem. The data collected will directly inform SACCA’s policy submissions, advocacy efforts, and the development of frameworks that reflect the needs and realities of local communities.
Participation is confidential, accessible, and open to all, and will play a vital role in shaping a fair and sustainable cannabis industry.
“If you are part of the cannabis community in any form—whether as a grower, club member, entrepreneur, or supporter—your voice matters. This survey is an opportunity to ensure that future regulations are informed by lived experience, not assumptions,” SACCA added.
Project Indlela and Inclusive Development
The inclusion of indigenous leadership aligns with SACCA’s broader work through Project Indlela, which seeks to establish a non-commercial, community-based cannabis ecosystem grounded in constitutional rights, transparency, and sustainable development.
Through this expanded committee, SACCA aims to:
- Strengthen collaboration between traditional leadership and industry stakeholders
- Advocate for inclusive regulatory frameworks that protect indigenous knowledge and participation
- Support the transition of informal and subsistence growers into compliant, community-based systems
- Ensure fair and equitable access to opportunities within the legal cannabis economy
SACCA believes that meaningful transformation of the cannabis sector depends on recognizing the historical role of indigenous communities and creating pathways for their full participation in the legal market.
Find out more about SACCA at its website HERE
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