Founded in 1931, Cansa has grown into one of South Africa’s leading cancer organisations, with a national footprint spanning research, education, advocacy, screening, care and support.
“As Cansa celebrates its 95th anniversary, we honour the past with gratitude, we serve in the present with compassion, and we continue building for the future with hope and determination,” says Cansa CEO Elize Joubert.
“This is a milestone that speaks not only to longevity, but to relevance, resilience and continued impact,” she adds.
Future-focused
Joubert explains: “Today, we’re not simply looking back at what we have achieved; we are actively building for the future.”
A clear example is the establishment of a new Cansa Care Home in Pietermaritzburg, developed in response to a long-standing need for accommodation for out-of-town cancer patients receiving treatment in the region. The project follows the closure of the Schoonies Care Home in Richards Bay and is aimed at supporting patients who would otherwise struggle to access treatment because of the distance, cost and practical burden of travel. For many patients travelling from distant parts of KwaZulu-Natal for radiotherapy or chemotherapy, this kind of practical support can make the difference between completing treatment and defaulting on it.
This future-focused growth reflects Cansa’s present-day mission: to ensure that no one affected by cancer has to face it alone.
Practical, emotional and psychosocial support
Today, Cansa provides practical, emotional and psychosocial support through Care Centres, virtual support platforms, screening services, counselling, support groups, public hospital Information and Support Desks, stoma support, medical equipment loans, wigs and prostheses, and assistance to vulnerable families. It’s Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) programme also supports children, teenagers, young adults and their families.
A cornerstone of this support is Cansa’s Care Home network. In the past financial year alone, more than 2,000 patients stayed at Cansa Care Homes. During the same period, Cansa enabled home-based care for 965 patients and conducted over 2,000 home visits. TLC support provided accommodation to 779 parents and 189 children, while food parcels and toiletry packs were also distributed to families in need.
Counselling and emotional support remain central to Cansa’s work. The organisation offers telephonic and virtual counselling in multiple languages, along with face-to-face and online support resources for patients, caregivers and loved ones. Its latest service information shows that 1,920 patients were helped through 3,473 counselling and emotional-support sessions.
Screening and early detection
Screening and early detection also remain key priorities. Across its Care Centres and outreach work, Cansa offers clinical breast examinations, Pap smears, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing, skin examinations and workplace wellness screenings. In the most recent reporting period, 8,709 cancer screenings were conducted, with 431 referrals made to health facilities for further follow-up and treatment.
“This ongoing work is strengthened through support from partners who share Cansa’s commitment to improving cancer awareness, support and access to care. Over the years, we have partnered with many organisations who have made us reach this milestone. Among these is AstraZeneca, whose grant funding support is helping to strengthen Cansa’s visibility, outreach and public education efforts in its 95th anniversary year. This includes support for branded visibility materials, educational resources, expanded outreach platforms and awareness initiatives designed to increase recognition of Cansa’s services and extend its reach into communities that need them most,” states Joubert.
Continuously evolving
As much as Cansa’s services are rooted in care, the organisation has continued to modernise the way it educates and connects with the public. In 2025, Cansa launched its WhatsApp Channel as a trusted platform for sharing credible cancer-related information, updates and support.
It has also expanded its public education offering through its ‘On the Cansa Couch’ podcast series, which shares practical insights into lowering cancer risk, informed lifestyle choices and patient care. Products that bear the Cansa Seal of Recognition are also featured on this podcast to raise consumers' awareness regarding products that lower cancer risk.
Recent campaigns further show how Cansa continues to evolve its awareness work in relevant and engaging ways. These include the PEP and Cansa ‘Dry & Detect’ towel initiative to promote breast self-exam education, the ‘Check Them Out’ campaign with Food Lover’s Market and the testicular cancer awareness campaign ‘Check Your Package’ with Takealot, and Cansa's partnership with the Hollard Daredevil Run, taking place annually to promote awareness regarding prostate and testicular cancer.
Cansa further hosts an annual Volunteer Day to honour the volunteers who extend the organisation’s reach, and World Cancer Day activities focused on people-centred care and the reality that every cancer experience is unique.
A powerful foundation
While Cansa’s current work reflects a responsive, multi-channel organisation, its legacy remains a powerful foundation. In its early years, the association set out to establish a cancer register and cancer centres and clinics across the country.
By the 1950s, it had introduced educational programmes focused on early detection and healthy living, while also supporting cancer research in South Africa. The first Cansa Care Home was pioneered in Pretoria in the 1960s, laying the groundwork for the practical support model that remains so important today.
Over the decades, Cansa expanded community services, patient support, research sponsorship and advocacy. It evolved from a traditional cancer association into a modern organisation combining research, education and support with public engagement, policy advocacy and increasingly accessible care services.
Cansa’s work has also earned public and sector recognition over the years, including accolades for NGO performance, reporting, communication and leadership, with further recognition noted in 2026 for excellence in cancer support services.
As Cansa marks 95 years, the message is clear: this is not only a celebration of the past, but a reaffirmation of purpose. In a country where the cancer burden continues to grow, Cansa remains committed to expanding practical support, deepening public education, promoting early detection, and ensuring that those affected by cancer are met with dignity, care and hope.
