SAICAS

Overview

The South African Indian Cultural Advancement Society (SAICAS) is a community-based Non-Profit Organisation, registered in South Africa and guided by the founders, volunteers and our constitution with clear goals and objectives to preserve the unique South African Indian heritage and culture. Due to modernisation and displacement of Indians from predominantly Indian areas as designated by the Group Areas Act, there has been a trend of the youth moving to westernisation and losing their cultural practices and values. The aim is to provide opportunities to the South African Indian community wishing to pursue a cultural way of life. This includes support in the advancement of the field of study, employment and business through social networking, community building and cultural upliftment programmes.

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Mission

The organisation acknowledges the suffering of the past under colonial rule and apartheid, but more importantly, recognises the current challenges facing the community. The change in dynamics in South Africa with the implementation of race quota systems and BBBEE policies has affected the South African Indian community drastically based on race profiling. The current policies hinder the self-development and natural progression of many South African Indians, especially in university placement, career appointments, promotions, and in business. As a result, many socio-economic problems, driven by unemployment and poverty, now prevail in a once-thriving community.

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Vision

A structure has been established for the growing South African Indian community with organisational goals and objectives to counter marginalisation and discrimination. We will promote social cohesion and integration for South African Indians into the greater community and lifestyle. SAICAS is committed to alleviating the current challenges faced by the South African Indian community in South Africa by offering hope and encouragement to Indians of South African origin in improving their lives by means of providing opportunities and access to resources for a better quality of life. SAICAS aims to develop a strategic plan for social development of the South African Indian community so as to avert the community from being driven into poverty by unjust policies and practices in the country.

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Values

The organisation’s primary focus is to research, document and preserve as well as promote the South African Indian heritage and culture in South Africa, whilst providing development platforms for artists and historians from within the community to preserve the unique South African Indian heritage and culture in South Africa.