To join a GOA-affiliated club, follow these steps:

Eligibility Requirements

• You must be at least 18 years old to join any GOA-associated club. (Note: Some clubs require members to be 21 years or older.)

Finding a Club

1. Visit the ‘Clubs’ tab on the GOA website.
2. Use the interactive map to find the club closest to you.
3. If multiple clubs are nearby, refer to the club list for detailed information about their offerings.

Application Process

1. Visit the Club:
   Travel to your chosen club and speak with the Club Compliance Officer (CO), who will guide you through the process.
2. Watch the New Members Application Video:
   Learn about the club rules and the application process.
3. Complete the Application Form:
   Fill out the form either at the club or online.
   • If you applied online: Contact the Club Compliance Officer to confirm if your application has been approved or denied.
4. Submit Personal Details:
   Once approved, visit the club to submit:
   • Your signature
   • A copy of your ID document
   • A selfie photo
5. Pay Membership Fees:
   Finalize your membership by paying the required fees and receive your GOA membership number.
6. Complete the Needs Assessment Form:
   Provide information on your cannabis preferences and requirements. This helps the club’s cultivating members plan effectively. (Note: This information is only shared within the GOA group for operational purposes.)

You can complete Steps 1 and 2 of the membership application process online via the GOA website. (For more details, see the FAQ section titled 'What do I need to do to become a club member?')

Once your application is approved, you will need to visit the club in person to:

1. Capture your personal details, including your signature, a copy of your ID, and a selfie photo.
2. Pay your membership fees.

After completing these steps, you will receive your unique GOA membership number!

For queries regarding your application status, please contact the club directly. (Club contact details are available under the 'Clubs' tab on the GOA website.)

Submitting your signature, ID, and photo is an important part of the membership application process. These details serve several purposes:

1. Membership Verification:
   Your photo, signature, and ID are used to confirm your identity and ensure that your membership is accurately registered within the GOA system. These details help identify you when visiting your home club or any other GOA-affiliated club.
2. Contractual Requirements:
   These details are essential for the contracts created between you, as a sharing member, and the cultivating member of your club. The lease agreements and employment contracts generated on the system use your signature, ID, and photo for legal verification and compliance purposes.

This ensures a secure and transparent system, protecting both members and cultivating/processing members within the GOA network.

Membership fees vary from club to club, as each GOA-affiliated club sets its pricing based on the facilities, services, and experiences they provide. Some clubs may offer basic memberships, while others include additional benefits such as educational workshops, events, or premium amenities.

As a member of a GOA-affiliated cannabis social club, you gain access to a range of benefits, including:

Exclusive Access

• Cannabis Sharing Station: Share and access cannabis (if you are a sharing member).
• Consumption Area: Enjoy a designated space to consume your shared cannabis freely (where available).
• Club Facilities: Relax in a safe environment with entertainment options, retail merchandise, and more.

Knowledge & Community

• Expert Guidance: Interact with experienced and knowledgeable bud tenders at the sharing station.
• Events & Workshops: Attend educational workshops and social events hosted by the club.
• Community Engagement: Connect with like-minded individuals in your local community.

Empowerment & Sustainability

• Voting Rights: Participate in club decisions by casting your vote at the annual club meeting.
• Support Sustainability: Be part of the sustainable agri-economy of cannabis in South Africa, knowing that Grow One Africa assists clubs and cultivators in paying their taxes.

Network Benefits

• Sister Club Access: Visit other clubs within the Grow One Africa network. (Please note: certain clubs may charge a day visitor fee.)

Joining a GOA club is more than just membership—it’s about being part of a community that values responsible cannabis use, sustainability, and collaboration.

No, GOA-associated clubs are not part of a franchise.

Grow One Africa (GOA) serves as a service provider to independent cannabis social clubs, offering a Cannabis Grow Club Model with stringent compliance measures. This model is designed to operate within South Africa’s current cannabis legislation, focusing on responsible cannabis use, sharing, and cultivation while ensuring full traceability from seed to social club member.

Each club is independently owned and operated, meaning they may differ in the facilities and services they provide. While many clubs offer similar amenities, such as:

• On-Consumption Areas: Spaces where members can smoke cannabis accessed from the sharing station.
• Food & Drink: Some clubs provide refreshments for purchase.
• Merchandise: Cannabis-related products and merchandise available for sale.
• Communal Spaces: Areas for socializing, events, and workshops.

Not all clubs have the same offerings, so it’s best to check with your local club to see what facilities are available.

Once your membership application is approved, you can begin sharing cannabis at the club’s sharing station as soon as you:

1. Visit the club in person.
2. Submit your signature, a copy of your ID document, and a selfie photo for verification.

These steps complete the onboarding process, ensuring your membership is fully activated and compliant.

There is no strict monthly limit on the amount of cannabis you can share from the club’s sharing station. However, the following measures are in place to ensure responsible sharing and compliance:

1. Transport Limit:
   • You can only share up to 90g at any one time, as transporting more than this amount is illegal (the legal limit is 100g).
2. Needs Assessment and Usage Records:
   • Your initial allocation is based on your Member Needs Assessment and estimated 30-day usage.
   • Members are encouraged to update their Needs Assessment regularly to ensure accurate allocation, especially if initial estimates were understated or overestimated.
3. Sharing Records:
   • All sharing is recorded for compliance and traceability. This helps the club monitor responsible usage while maintaining transparency.
4. Compliance Monitoring:
   • If a Bud Tender notices irregular sharing patterns, they may escalate the matter to the club committee.
   • The Compliance Officer can review your sharing history and, if necessary, alert GOA for further investigation.

While GOA-associated clubs promote responsible cannabis use and do not impose monthly sharing limits, compliance measures ensure that sharing aligns with member needs and legal requirements.

At Grow One Africa, we deeply value and respect the privacy of our members. We have implemented robust security measures to ensure that your personal information is protected at all times:

1. Encrypted Database: Member information is stored in an encrypted database on a dedicated server with stringent firewall protections that severely limit access.
2. Restricted Access: Only authorized staff at your club can view your full details, and this access is provided through a secure application designed with multiple layers of built-in security.
3. Advanced Security Measures: To enhance protection, we use a well-reputed, proprietary full-stack security solution. This system incorporates machine learning to detect and defend against the latest threats.

While we’ve intentionally kept some details vague for security reasons, rest assured that safeguarding your data is our top priority. Your information is protected with industry-leading practices to ensure your peace of mind.

When a member cancels their GOA membership, we take measures to ensure compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) while maintaining necessary records for accountability:

1. Anonymization of Personal Details:
   • The member’s name and contact information are replaced with the word "CANCELLED."
   • Their ID number is replaced with the date and time of cancellation.
2. Retention of Non-Personal Records:
   • The membership’s valid-until date and original registration date are retained to preserve the historical sharing record.
   • The member’s Needs Assessment is also retained, as it contains no personal information.
3. Purpose of Retention:
   These records are used to justify the presence of plants and sharing activities in the system without compromising the member's privacy. While we can confirm that a member was part of the system, their identity remains protected.

This approach ensures we balance data privacy with operational integrity, maintaining compliance and accountability within the GOA network.

Yes, your membership can be cancelled under the following circumstances:

1. Non-Payment of Membership Fees:
   • If you fail to pay your membership fee, your membership will automatically be cancelled 3 months after the expiration of your last valid membership period.
2. Violation of Club Rules:
   • Your membership may be revoked if you are found to be in breach of any club rules or policies.
3. Criminal Activity:
   • Grow One Africa does not tolerate the use of its model, systems, or facilities for any criminal activities. If such activities are detected, GOA will cooperate fully with the authorities and may act as a witness for the State in legal proceedings.

GOA is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all members. Compliance with club rules and South African law ensures continued membership and access to club benefits.

Firstly, it’s important to note that you won’t be cultivating cannabis for Grow One Africa directly. Instead, you’ll be employed by one of our club members to cultivate on their behalf. To become a cultivator within the GOA network, you must first become a club member and achieve compliance as a Cultivating/Processing Member (CPM).

Types of CPMs

1. Primary CPMs:
   • Operate their own cultivation or processing site.
   • Are responsible for ensuring site compliance with GOA standards.
2. Assisting CPMs:
   • Work at a Primary CPM’s site, assisting with tasks such as cultivation, harvesting, processing, reporting, or administration.
   • Only require a CPM Certificate to perform their duties.

Steps to Become a CPM

1. Join a GOA-Associated Club:
   • Apply for membership at a club within the GOA network.
   • Once a member, discuss your cultivation skills or processing experience with the Club Compliance Officer (CO).
2. Understand Demand:
   • The GOA model operates on a “supply follows demand” principle.
   • The CO will assess whether the club’s members have a demand for additional cultivators or processors.
3. Site Compliance (if applicable):
   • If demand exists and you wish to operate your own site, the club will assist you in getting your site compliant with GOA’s standards.
   • If you plan to assist at an existing compliant site, you only need to obtain your CPM Certificate.
4. Complete Compliance Steps:
   • For Primary CPMs, additional steps will be required to ensure that the site meets GOA’s compliance measures.

By becoming a compliant CPM, you contribute to the GOA community by responsibly cultivating or processing cannabis to meet club members' needs, all while adhering to South Africa’s legal requirements.

No, selling cannabis is still illegal in South Africa under the current legislation.

At Grow One Africa (GOA) affiliated clubs, no buying or selling of cannabis is permitted. Only cannabis grown by compliant cultivators—following our strict track-and-trace system from seed to harvest—can be responsibly shared among club members. This ensures full traceability, compliance and the safety of all cannabis shared within the GOA community.

As a certified CPM (Cultivating/Processing Member), you will be assigned a fixed number of plants to grow based on the needs of your club(s). You can cultivate for multiple clubs if there is sufficient demand.

Your payment is structured as follows:

1. Lease Agreement: You are reimbursed for the space the plant occupied during cultivation, based on a lease agreement between you and the OM (Owner Member).
2. Employment Agreement: You are compensated for the work performed, including cultivating, harvesting, and curing the plant. This is covered under a limited employment agreement with the OM.

Important: Reimbursement is for the effort, space, and services provided, not for the plant itself, ensuring compliance with South African laws.

When an OM (Owner Member) chooses to share their cultivated plant with other members, a sharing agreement allows those members to contribute toward reimbursing the CPM.

How it Works:

• Grow One Africa performs a monthly reconciliation (21st–20th of each month) to track all stock sent to the club(s) by each CPM.
• GOA collects reimbursements from the clubs, deducts taxes (to maintain SARS compliance), and pays the net amount directly to the CPM via EFT.

This system ensures fairness, transparency, and compliance

As a CPM (Cultivating/Processing Member), the amount you are reimbursed per gram depends on the costs you incur during cultivation. You’ll need to calculate your expenses—including cultivation, harvesting, curing, and any other inputs—to determine your reimbursement rate.

Your Club Compliance Officer can assist by providing insights into what other cultivators are reimbursed for similar products, ensuring that your calculations are fair, justified, and aligned with the club’s standards.

Yes, there is typically a price difference between indoor and outdoor-grown cannabis due to the higher costs associated with indoor cultivation.

Indoor cultivation requires more equipment, specialized supplies, and electricity to maintain optimal growing conditions, such as lighting, temperature, and humidity control. These additional expenses usually result in higher reimbursement rates for indoor-grown cannabis compared to outdoor-grown products.

Your Club Compliance Officer can help you understand the average reimbursement rates for both indoor and outdoor-grown cannabis in your club to ensure fair and accurate pricing.

Once a CPM (Cultivating/Processing Member) is certified as compliant, they must submit a Cultivation Plan to the Compliance Officer (CO) of the club they are cultivating for.

The CO works closely with the CPM to evaluate the needs and preferences of the club's members. Together, they determine the type of cultivation methods and specific strains required to meet those needs. This ensures that the cultivation aligns with member demands and club compliance standards.

The number of plants you can cultivate at a time is determined by the club based on its membership and the needs of its members. This depends on:

1. Member Demand: The number of members requiring cultivation services and how many are already being cultivated for by other CPMs (Cultivating/Processing Members).
2. Club Needs: Even if you have space to grow 100 plants on your compliant site, the club may only require cultivation for a smaller number, such as 10 plants, depending on current member demand.

The allocation of plants is based on member needs rather than the available cultivation capacity at your site.

To open a GOA-affiliated social club, you’ll need:

1. Founding Members: A minimum of 3 people to register the Non-Profit Company (NPC).
2. Committee Members: A total of 5 people to serve on the club’s committee. The founding members can also be part of this committee.

In summary, you’ll need a minimum of 5 individuals to meet the requirements for opening a club.

Yes, but certain conditions must be met:

1. Zoning Requirements: Your property must be zoned for business use. Residential zoning does not permit the operation of a GOA social club.
2. Compliance Measures: You must ensure that your property meets all of GOA’s club compliance measures, including security, accessibility, and operational standards.

If your property meets these criteria, opening a GOA social club could be a possibility. For more details, please reach out to the GOA team for guidance on the compliance process.

Currently, South Africa has no specific law regulating the distance between cannabis social clubs and schools or institutions where minors gather. However, international guidelines vary:

• In California, the minimum distance is 180m (600 feet).
• Canada recommends a distance of up to 700m.

At Grow One Africa, we strive to adopt responsible and practical practices. Our recommended guidelines are:

1. Distance Requirements: The club’s consumption area should be at least 200m from the entrance of any school or institution where minors regularly gather.
2. Positioning: The club should be positioned and designed to avoid causing any disruption or hindrance to nearby institutions.
3. Compliance Measures: Clubs must adhere to all signage, privacy, and zoning regulations to maintain a professional and unobtrusive presence.

By following these principles, we ensure a safe and respectful environment for both the community and the institution.

Yes, all staff members working at GOA-affiliated clubs are required to be GOA members. However, they can register as non-sharing members, which means they are not required to share or access any cannabis products.

A valid member number is necessary to create a staff login on the GOA Portal, ensuring secure access and proper integration into the club’s operations.

This policy helps maintain compliance, accountability, and smooth functionality within the GOA network.

Grow One Africa (GOA) provides a comprehensive suite of services to support the operations and compliance of affiliated clubs. These include:

Compliance and Frameworks

• Grow Club Compliance Model and Constitutional Framework
• Cultivation and Processing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Compliance reports for clubs, cultivating, and processing members

Membership Management Tools

• New Member Application and Needs Assessment Forms
• Cultivation and Processing Planning on GOA Code Sheets
• Cultivating and Processing Member Application Forms
• Cannabis Product Review Forms

Agreements and Contracts

Facilitation of agreements between members, clubs, and GOA, including:

• General Agreements
• Deed of Donation
• Lease Agreements
• Limited Duration Employment Agreements
• Sharing Agreements

Track, Trace, and Reporting

• Member database and membership management tools
• Systems for tracking cultivation and processing inputs
• Recording of requests, dispatch, and receiving of cannabis
• Cannabis stock control and monthly reconciliation

Financial Management

• Calculation and facilitation of reimbursement costs for cultivation (lease, salary, storage, admin, and sharing)
• Monthly invoicing to clubs for shared cannabis reimbursements
• Monthly processing of lease invoices and cultivating/processing member salaries
• Issuing of payslips and IRP5 forms
• Payment of associated taxes (PAYE, UIF) on behalf of members

Subscription Fees

(All fees include VAT and are invoiced monthly):

• Non-Sharing Member: R5/month
• Sharing Member: R10/month
• Cultivating/Processing Member: R20/month

GOA’s services ensure compliance, operational efficiency, and financial transparency, allowing clubs to focus on building thriving cannabis communities.

As a member of a GOA-affiliated club, you automatically gain access to all other GOA-affiliated clubs. However, you will have a designated home-base club where your primary membership is registered and managed.

While you don’t need to hold separate memberships at multiple clubs, some clubs may charge a day visitor fee for access.

Monthly financial compliance reviews are essential to ensure that all accounting is performed accurately and on time. This process provides transparency and gives both club members and Grow one Africa (GOA) confidence that club funds are being managed responsibly.

To maintain impartiality, this service is conducted by an independent party appointed by GOA, ensuring unbiased oversight and compliance with financial standards.