Egg donor compensation in South Africa in 2024

Because there is no compensation for most common donations, such as – for example – blood donations, people are often surprised when they first realise that compensation for egg donors is allowed by South African legislation.

Most people, however, also agree that it is fair and right that this compensation is allowed, given that donating eggs require significantly more involvement than, say, donating an hour of your time to a charity, donating blood, or even donating sperm.

Why are egg donations needed?

There is a legitimate need for donor eggs, not only in South Africa, but worldwide. This is because thousands of couples around the world are facing infertility, unable to fall pregnant naturally because of poor egg quality. The women in these couples may simply not have enough eggs to get pregnant, or have eggs of poor quality, or their eggs may carry a certain genetic disorder.

Donations of healthy eggs completely change the lives of these couples, and bring endless joy. Sadly, there are many more couples desperately waiting for donated eggs to have their own child than there are egg donors available.

Why is compensation for egg donors allowed by law?

Egg donors – women who donate some of their eggs to help another woman experience the joy of carrying and birthing a child – can, by law, be compensated for their time, effort and expenses involved in this selfless act of donating.

This is because unlike, for example, donating blood, which takes a half an hour or so, or donating an hour of your time at a soup kitchen, donating eggs requires more time and involvement. To bring the joy of a baby to another women, egg donors really do go the extra mile.

The compensation is granted in recognition that egg donors go above and beyond what the average person is willing to give.

The brief overview of the process of donating eggs at Cape Fertility will help clarify why egg donors receive compensation, and why it is fair.

Step 1 – Apply to become an egg donor by simply filling in your contact details here, or contacting our Egg Donor Fairy God Mother, Linda, on 072 698 7919 or linda@capefertility.co.za. Linda will answer your questions and guide you further in giving the gift of a lifetime.

Step 2 – Complete a confidential medical questionnaire to ascertain your suitability as an egg donor. Please remember egg donation is anonymous and confidential, the recipient selects you from your confidential profile.

Step 3 – Linda will assist you in completing an Egg Donor Profile, which is completely anonymous and confidential.

Step 4 – Your profile is added to Cape Fertility’s world-class and secure database of egg donors from which moms-to-be can select.

Step 5 – When you are selected by a donor recipient, you will be required to attend a 2-hour appointment with our fertility specialists and our psychologist, who will explain the entire egg donation procedure and answer any questions you may have. (Even if you do not live in Cape Town, don’t worry… when you are selected to donate, we will arrange for you to travel to Cape Town, at no cost to yourself!)

Step 6 – The next step is to complete an egg donation cycle, which starts with fertility injections for 10-12 days to grow the eggs. On egg retrieval day, you will need to take a full day off work or activities, although the actual procedure only takes about 30 minutes under a mild general anaesthetic. You can go home about an hour after the procedure.

Step 7 – After your egg donation experience, we will still remain in contact with you to ensure there are no problems after your donation and to invite you back.

The compensation to egg donors ensures that this process of donating does not cost more than these selfless women are already giving in time, effort, and expenses.

What does the compensation for egg donors cover?

The compensation egg donors receive is not payment for the eggs donated, but compensation for the donor’s input of time and effort, which is quite a bit more than the time and effort required for donating in other ways. In addition, this same compensation is paid to all donors, regardless and irrespective of how many eggs are donated.

By law, egg donors in South Africa can be compensated for reasonable expenses – such as travel expenses for getting to and from the clinic for the various appointments, medications, consultations, examinations, blood tests and for the procedure on egg donation day, all of which require time, effort and commitment from the donor.

How much is the compensation for egg donors?

Currently, the maximum permissible compensation allowable in South Africa under the National Guidelines from the South African Society for Reproductive Medicine (SASREG), is R8000 per donation cycle.

In South Africa, egg donors all receive the same regulated amount of compensation for an egg donation, regardless of how many eggs are collected, because the compensation is only for the donor’s time, effort and expenses, and not for the eggs.

How to best protect yourself when donating your eggs

At Cape Fertility, we believe that it is right and fair that donors are compensated for their giving a considerable amount of time and effort, and to cover any expenses they may incur in making this substantial donation that can help another experience the joy of their own baby.

We believe that if you are making such a considerable donation, there should be no cost to you – you are already giving so generously – and we make sure your donation does not involve any costs to you when you donate through our Cape Fertility Egg Donor Program.

You will also receive the maximum permissible compensation allowable in South Africa, which is currently R8000 per donation cycle. This maximum compensation is paid by Cape Fertility, directly to you, on the day of and after your egg donation. Should you decide to donate again, this compensation is paid to you for every egg donation cycle.

The best way to protect yourself when donating eggs is to ensure you donate at a reputable, certified and registered fertility clinic with an excellent track record. Visit the South African Society of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endoscopy (SASREG) at sasreg.co.za for a list of accredited clinics.

At Cape Fertility Clinic, one of the largest and most reputable fertility clinics in South Africa, you will be cared for by specialist fertility doctors and nurses, who have been looking after egg donors for many years and have safely completed thousands of previous treatments. Attention to the medical safety of our egg donors during the procedure is our primary concern.

To find out more, simply fill in your contact details here, or contact our Egg Donor Fairy God Mother, Linda, on 072 698 7919 or linda@capefertility.co.za. Your information is 100% confidential and will under no circumstances be made available to anybody else. Contact us now to join our friendly, professional and leading Egg Donor Program!