SANCA’s mission is to provide specialised, accessible and effective services to prevent and treat alcohol and drug dependence, and to support healthier lives for individuals and communities in South Africa. They uphold values such as dignity, respect, integrity, quality care and empowerment for the people referred to them.

What is the mission statement of SANCA?

While wording differs slightly between regional centres, SANCA’s mission consistently includes:

  • To provide specialised, outcome‑based substance abuse prevention and treatment services.
  • To offer prevention, education, treatment, aftercare and support for alcohol and drug dependence.
  • To deliver services that are accessible and affordable to communities they serve.
  • To enhance quality of life and help restore self‑respect and dignity of people struggling with addiction.

Put simply, SANCA exists to reduce substance abuse and its harms by offering professional, holistic help to individuals, families and communities.

What values do they uphold for their referrals/clients?

For people referred to SANCA (or self‑referrals), the organisation emphasises values that shape how services are delivered:

  • Dignity and respect – treating every client as a person of worth, regardless of their past or current substance use.
  • Integrity and ethics – acting honestly, maintaining confidentiality, and following professional standards in assessment and treatment.
  • Compassion and non‑judgement – responding with empathy rather than blame, recognising addiction as a health and social issue.
  • Accessibility and affordability – striving to make services reachable to diverse communities, including low‑income clients.
  • Empowerment and recovery focus – helping clients build skills, resilience and self‑respect so they can sustain recovery and healthier lifestyles.
  • Holistic, multidisciplinary care – using teams (counsellors, social workers, etc.) and combining prevention, treatment and aftercare for more effective outcomes.

For referrals, these values mean clients should experience a safe, respectful, professional environment where their recovery and long‑term wellbeing are the priority.

Simple example (how this looks in practice)

Imagine a teenager referred to SANCA by a school for cannabis and alcohol use:

  1. They receive a confidential, non‑judgemental assessment by a trained professional (respect, dignity, integrity).
  1. The counsellor involves the family where appropriate and offers education on substance risks (prevention and empowerment).
  1. A personalised treatment or counselling plan is created, with possible group sessions and aftercare (holistic, outcome‑based care).
  1. Fees or access are discussed in a way that tries not to exclude them because of financial constraints (accessibility and affordability).

Through this process, SANCA is living out both its mission and its values towards referrals/clients.

Key facts at a glance

[9][1][7] [1][7][9] [7][9][1] [5][9][1][7] [9][7]
Aspect Details
Core mission Provide specialised prevention, treatment and aftercare for alcohol and drug dependence.
Main focus Reduce substance abuse and improve quality of life in communities.
Key services Education, prevention, outpatient/inpatient treatment (varies by centre), aftercare and support.
Values for referrals Dignity, respect, integrity, compassion, accessibility, empowerment, holistic care.
Intended outcome Restored self‑respect and dignity, sustained recovery, healthier communities.
**TL;DR:** SANCA’s mission is to offer specialised, accessible and effective services to prevent and treat substance abuse and to improve quality of life. For referrals, they uphold values of dignity, respect, integrity, compassion, empowerment and holistic, affordable care throughout the recovery journey.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.