SANCA CENTRAL RAND Alcohol and Drug Centre was established in 1963 by a group of concerned community leaders in the Western Coloured Township (also known as Westbury) to address the scourge of multiple social problems in the community. The organisation was initially named the Johannesburg Coloured Society to conform to the group areas act in force by the apartheid regime. Their objective was to address the aforementioned social ills exacerbated by alcohol and drug use.

During the 1980s, the Johannesburg Coloured Society was changed to South Western Johannesburg Society when affiliated with the “SANCA” national body. It was during this time that the organisation set up offices in Johannesburg CBD. During the apartheid regime, the draconian Group Areas Act restricted the organisation from operating in some city’s geographical regions, particularly coloured townships. The apartheid resulted in services only rendered in coloured communities like Westbury, Eldorado Park, Riverlea, Noordgesig and neighbouring areas.