Grabouw is an agricultural town nestled between the Hottentots-Holland, Kogelberg, Groenland, and Houwhoek Mountains. Located in the Overberg Municipality, the town is approximately 65 km from Cape Town. Grabouw is well known for its apples and pears farms and is the largest fruit-producing exporting area (Elgin Valley) in Southern Africa.
Like many towns in South Africa, Grabouw faces many problems, like unemployment, extreme poverty, substance abuse, and high crime. The community needs job opportunities, housing, and better policing.
The Western Cape Government opened the WCG eCentre in Grabouw to help the community get access to services that’ll help alleviate their problems. The WCG eCentre provides access to information and communication technologies (ICT) to less privileged and rural communities across the Western Cape. Residents also receive access to computers and the internet, including various services and applications associated with them.
According to the eCentre manager, the eCentre offers the community, most of whom are farm workers with no computer access, access to the internet and emails, use of computers for printing, basic and accredited computer training, and access to government information and services like the Social Relief of Distress Grant. Currently, the eCentre has 11 273 members and is still growing.
The eCentre manager added that citizens in Grabouw are now applying for and receiving jobs, and students are getting access to universities.
The eCentre also offers a winter programme for school children to come and do their projects, and grade 12 students can do basic computer training to prepare them for the job market.
These programmes have helped several youth in the community find work in the town.
Services
Contact Us
Email: Grabouw.ecentre@gmail.com
Address: 290 Ou Kaapse Way, Pineview, Grabouw, 7160