The I-CAN Centre, Initiative of the Western Cape Government is a digital public access facility based in the Elsies River community in Cape Town. Launched in 2014 by the Western Cape provincial government (WCG), the I-CAN Centre provides residents with free access to internet and equips them with digital and entrepreneurship skills. Genesis Community IT Initiative, Centre Operator, in partnership with WCG, has develop a basket of digital skills to meet industry needs and better employment opportunities for citizens.

According to the 2014 statistics released by Statistics South Africa, more than half on the population does not have access to Internet at home. Due to our history of ethnic and economic inequality, there have been differences in the level of development in various communities. This has lead to disparities in access to information, communication and technology.  And while the world continues to make strides in technology and in the digital world, many local communities are excluded from these advancements.  We believe that connected neighbors make stronger communities. But this “digital divide” creates a gap in communities where they cannot effectively connect to local government, safety authorities and each other. The I-CAN Centre directly aims at bridging this gap by providing communities the opportunity to stay connected and keep up with digital trends.