SOUTH AFRICA · AFRICA
Become a bone marrow donor in South Africa
For people who live in South Africa. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
In South Africa you can join South African Bone Marrow Registry (ages 16 to 45) or DKMS Africa (ages 17 to 55). You only need to join one. DKMS Africa says people already registered with another South African donor center don’t need to register again, because South African donors’ details are already shared for searches worldwide. 12 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | South Africa (iNingizimu Afrika, EMzantsi Afrika, Suid-Afrika) |
|---|---|
| Region | Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa 20 |
| Population | About 63.2 million (2023) 21 |
| Registries | South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) (South African Bone Marrow Registry NPC)DKMS Africa (DKMS Foundation NPC) 1 3 4 9 10 |
| Who can join | South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR): ages 16 to 45DKMS Africa: ages 17 to 55DKMS Africa’s sign-up starts by asking whether you live in South Africa. People who aren’t South African can request a kit after living in South Africa for more than 18 months, with valid documents such as a permit or papers showing they are refugees. 2 10 11 12 |
| How you sign up | Both South African registries start with an online form and a cheek-swab kit. DKMS Africa delivers its kit to your chosen address; SABMR sends a kit after you register and asks you to contact it to arrange a courier pick-up of the completed kit. 1 13 |
| Cost | Both South African registries let you join at no charge: SABMR’s donor brochure offers the cheek swab free of charge, DKMS Africa’s kit is free, and DKMS Africa says the costs of donating, including travel, accommodation and medical care, are covered. 12 13 18 |
| In the world’s donor search | Organizations based in South Africa list 301,018 adult donor records in the World Marrow Donor Association’s Search & Match (). No organization based in South Africa lists cord blood units there (). 19 |
| Public cord blood bank | On Oct 11, 2026, no organization based in South Africa listed cord blood units in WMDA’s Search & Match, and we found no public cord blood bank in South Africa that takes donations. 19 |
| Transplants | The South African National Blood Service says its mobile stem cell collection service for bone marrow transplant patients is accredited to JACIE standards and supports over 300 transplant patients a year. 16 |
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A bone marrow donor registry is also called a stem cell or blood stem cell donor registry.
Which registry should I join in South Africa?
| Registry | Ages to join | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) | 16 to 45 | People who live in South Africa |
| DKMS Africa | 17 to 55 | People who live in South Africa |
SABMR, built in 1991 and based at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, is South Africa’s national registry and the point of contact for countries seeking unrelated donors there. DKMS Africa was formed in March 2021 when The Sunflower Fund joined DKMS, and the DKMS Registry lists its donors. 3 5 7 14 15
The two South African registries’ age ranges overlap: at 16 only SABMR can add you, and from 46 to 55 only DKMS Africa can. 1 2 12
In South Africa, SABMR takes ages 16 to 45 and DKMS Africa 17 to 55. 1 12
How do I join in South Africa?
SABMR also books donor days for companies, schools and communities in South Africa. 8
South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR)
Run by South African Bone Marrow Registry NPC, a nonprofit organization.
16–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in South Africa, aged 16 to 45.
- Language
- English
Why this one first South Africa’s national registry, with a home cheek-swab kit for people living there (16–45); it also takes Namibian citizens, and DKMS Africa (17–55) is the other route.
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
DKMS Africa
Run by DKMS Foundation NPC, a nonprofit organization.
17–55years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in South Africa, aged 17 to 55.
- Language
- English
Who this suits People aged 46 to 55, past South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR)’s age limit.
We’ll link to its sign-up page once we’ve checked the exact page a button would open.
For patients and families
South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR)
Run by South African Bone Marrow Registry NPC, a nonprofit organization.
- Language
- English
Link checked Read South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR)’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in South Africa?
SABMR asks only that you live in South Africa and aren’t leaving within two years; its donor rules don’t mention citizenship. 2 6
SABMR’s sign-up asks whether you’re between 16 and 45, and asks South Africans under 18 to chat with their family first. 1
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
South Africa and the world’s donor search
Organizations based in South Africa list 301,018 adult donor records in the World Marrow Donor Association’s Search & Match (). No organization based in South Africa lists cord blood units there (). 19
These are records listed for searching, not a count of people, and they count where each organization is based, not where its donors live.
SABMR’s annual report says it recruited 2,733 donors in South Africa’s financial year to March 31, 2025. 4
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
DKMS Africa says that in South Africa stem cells are collected from the bloodstream by apheresis, as an outpatient, at a collection center in a private hospital. 13 17
Questions about joining in South Africa
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of South Africa?
DKMS Africa’s sign-up starts by asking whether you live in South Africa. People who aren’t South African can request a kit after living in South Africa for more than 18 months, with valid documents such as a permit or papers showing they are refugees. 10 11
How do I sign up in South Africa: online, by kit or in person?
Both South African registries start with an online form and a cheek-swab kit. DKMS Africa delivers its kit to your chosen address; SABMR sends a kit after you register and asks you to contact it to arrange a courier pick-up of the completed kit. 1 13
Does it cost anything to join in South Africa?
Both South African registries let you join at no charge: SABMR’s donor brochure offers the cheek swab free of charge, DKMS Africa’s kit is free, and DKMS Africa says the costs of donating, including travel, accommodation and medical care, are covered. 12 13 18
How old do you have to be to join South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR)?
South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) signs up people aged 16 to 45. 2
Is South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) part of the international donor search?
Yes. South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Can I donate cord blood in South Africa?
On Oct 11, 2026, no organization based in South Africa listed cord blood units in WMDA’s Search & Match, and we found no public cord blood bank in South Africa that takes donations. 19
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- SABMR. Become A Donor - SABMR.
- SABMR NPC. DOC048 Donor Exclusion Criteria, version 3 (policy).
- SABMR NPC. DOC114 Access to Information Manual (PAIA section 51), version 5.
- SABMR NPC. Annual Report 2024/25, linked from sabmr.co.za/3d-flip-book/annual-report-2025/.
- South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR). Home - SABMR.
- SABMR. Donor Exclusion Criteria - SABMR.
- SABMR. About Us - SABMR.
- SABMR. Donor Drives - SABMR.
- DKMS Foundation NPC (trading as DKMS Africa). DKMS Africa | Join the Fight Against Blood Cancer.
- DKMS Africa. Registration (1/11) - first eligibility screen.
- DKMS Africa. Blood stem cell registration form for non-sa citizens.
- DKMS Africa. FAQs | Blood Stem Cell Donation with DKMS Africa.
- DKMS Africa. Request a swab kit to register as a blood stem cell donor.
- DKMS Africa. About DKMS Africa.
- DKMS (professional site). DKMS Africa: The Sunflower Fund becomes a full member of our global DKMS Group. Updated Nov 11, 2021.
- SANBS. Clinical Apheresis and Stem Cell Harvesting.
- DKMS Africa. Donor Handbook (linked from the become-a-donor page).
- SABMR NPC. Donor Brochure ('You could be someone's tomorrow'), the document behind sabmr.co.za/3d-flip-book/donor-guide/.
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- WMDA. WMDA Total Number of Donors and Cord blood units.
- United Nations Statistics Division. Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49): Overview (English table).
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
Research and other sources
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked