IVF and Egg Donation in South Africa

Why IVF with Donor Eggs in South Africa?

South Africa is a popular destination for IVF egg donation. Egg donation is tightly regulated, and anonymous, and donors are unpaid except for reasonable expenses. South Africa welcomes same-sex couples and offers treatment for single women, with or without egg donation.

Boasting world-class experts, cutting-edge reproductive technologies and favourable fertility laws, it is little wonder why more and more people are choosing to head to South Africa for egg donation IVF.

South Africa offers a range of fertility treatments to heterosexual couples and single women.
The country is also considered an LGBTQ+ ally, with favourable fertility laws allowing lesbian couples to have treatment, including the shared motherhood option ROPA, and gay men to expand their families via gestational surrogacy.

Which patients choose South Africa for egg donation IVF?

• Single women.
• Female same-sex couples. As well as regular IVF with donor sperm, South African IVF clinics offer a shared motherhood option called ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner).
• This particular fertility treatment allows one partner to donate her eggs and the other partner to receive the embryo and carry the pregnancy, allowing both women to share in this beautiful experience.
• Male same-sex couples.
• Patients seeking anonymous egg, sperm or embryo donation.
• Women with advanced maternal age. Under South African law, women can have IVF with donor eggs up to the age of 50. If the patient uses her own eggs, she must be under 45.
• Patients interested in PGT-A embryo genetic diagnosis. The technique is widely used in South Africa, with great success.
• Couples who are seeking surrogacy as well as egg donation.
• Patients who are seeking Black or mixed-race egg donors.

IVF with Donor Eggs in South Africa Availibility and Limits

IVF and Egg Donation in Latvia - availability and limits
Maximum patient age (woman)	50
IVF treatments for single women	Allowed
IVF treatments for female same-sex couples	Allowed ROPA method available (Reception of Oocytes from Partner)
Gender selection	Allowed only if there are medical reasons Not allowed for family balancing reasons
Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with donor eggs	1-2 depending on the age of the patient
Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with own eggs	2
Egg donation - anonymity	Anonymous
Egg donor availability	Very good: Black, Caucasian, mixed race, Indian.
Egg donor age	18-35
Maximum number of children born from the same egg donor	6
Sperm donor - maximum age	40
Maximum number of children born from the same sperm donor	6

The Southern African Society of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endoscopy (SASREG) >> https://sasreg.co.za/

Donor Egg IVF in South Africa – Reasons to Go

• South Africa welcomes single women and both female and male same-sex couples for fertility treatment.
• South Africa has egg donors from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and is particularly good for patients seeking mixed-race donors.
• South Africa has many well-stocked gamete banks, meaning that donor eggs are usually available for treatment to start immediately
• IVF egg donation in South Africa costs significantly less compared to many other developed countries, including top European destinations.
• World-class IVF experts operate within accessible cities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria.

IVF Clinics in South Africa

Whether you are seeking IVF with donor eggs or another form of fertility treatment, South Africa is rapidly becoming a go-to destination. Over the years, the country has welcomed international patients from Australia, the UK, mainland Europe, the US, and countries across Africa.

South Africa prides itself on providing affordable IVF to patients from diverse backgrounds, with clinics headed up by experts who have trained at some of the world’s leading centres of excellence.

The most popular cities for IVF patients from abroad in South Africa are Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria. If you do an online search using phrases such as “IVF in Johannesburg”, “IVF in Pretoria”, “IVF in Cape Town”, “egg donation in Johannesburg” or “egg donation Pretoria” you will find many IVF clinics treating patients in these areas.

Egg Donation IVF in South Africa

South African IVF clinics pride themselves on their high levels of patient care and whether you are seeking egg or sperm donation IVF or plan on using your own, you can be guaranteed a world-class service, for a competitive price.

Egg donation IVF in South Africa can be carried out on women up to the age of 50. In contrast, clinics are only allowed to treat women up to the age of 45 if they plan on using their own eggs. Egg donors are aged between 18-35, although some clinics only accept donors under the age of 30, and men are only allowed to donate sperm up to the age of 40 to ensure the best possible outcome. Egg donors may only donate six times or when six viable pregnancies have been achieved, whichever comes first.

Egg donation is unpaid, although the donor can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses. On average, egg donors can expect to receive R8,000 and R10,000 (approximately €409 to €511). The fertility clinic reimburses the egg donor. An egg donation agency may charge the recipient an administrative fee for matching them with the egg donor.

No financial transactions can take place between fertility clinics and egg donation agencies – referral fees or kickbacks are illegal under South African law.

Egg Donation IVF in South Africa – age limit

The legal age limit for women seeking IVF egg donation in South Africa is 50. If a patient is planning to use her own eggs during treatment, the legal limit is 45.

IVF (egg donation) for lesbian couples in South Africa

Same-sex female couples seeking IVF in South Africa have two treatment options. The couple may opt for regular IVF using donor sperm, or a shared motherhood option called ROPA (Reception of Oocytes from Partner), which allows one partner to use her eggs and the other partner to receive the embryo and carry the pregnancy.

Egg donation in South Africa

Egg donation in South Africa is anonymous and altruistic, meaning donors do not get paid, apart from reasonable expenses. Egg donors must be aged between 18-35, although some clinics only accept donors under the age of 30. According to Chapter 8 of the Artificial Fertilisation of Persons under the National Health Act, egg donors may only donate six times or when six viable pregnancies have been achieved, whichever comes first.

South Africa has an impressive stockpile of donor eggs, meaning treatment can often begin immediately. South Africa is particularly good for patients seeking Black or mixed-race donors.

Egg donor information available in South Africa
Egg donation in South Africa is anonymous, but donors can choose to register as an Identity Release donor. This means that the donor agrees to identifying information being shared with the donor-conceived child once they reach 18, should the child request it. Identifying information may include the donor’s name and contact details. Identity release also allows the donor-conceived child to access information about their genetic background.

If a donor does not choose to register as an Identity Release donor, then no identifying information will be released to the child. The intended parents will only receive non-identifying information, including details about the donor’s physical characteristics, personality, and academic achievements, plus their health history as well as that of their immediate family. Childhood pictures of the donor up to the age of 10 are also available to the patient.

Egg donor qualifications in South Africa

According to guidelines set out by the Southern African Society of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endoscopy (SASREG), all egg donors should be mentally and physically healthy, have a BMI under 30, and should be under 35 years of age. Some clinics will only accept egg donors under the age of 30.

While the legal age is 18, SASREG recommends that donors are at least 21 years old, unless specifically cleared by a psychologist.

SASREG recommends that egg donors should not make more than four egg donations within a 12-month period in order to protect their own health. Back-to-back donations are not permitted.

Egg donor qualification in South Africa – tests required by law:
There are a number of tests that must be carried out on potential donors.

• HIV
• Syphilis
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Blood type and Rhesus

Embryo donation in South Africa

Embryo donation is legal in South Africa and embryo donors undergo the same checks as egg donors. Embryo donation is unpaid and anonymity laws are the same as egg donation.

Frozen embryos may be stored for a maximum of ten years.

Egg donation and IVF cost in South Africa

The cost of a single round of IVF in South Africa using the patient’s own eggs is between 85,000 – 100,000 South African Rand (€4,354 – €5,122 or $4,533 – $5,333). In comparison, egg donation IVF in South Africa costs on average R75,000 – R120,000 (€3,838 – €6,142 or $3,999 – $6,398). This compares favourably with popular European destinations including Spain and Greece.

The cost of egg donation IVF in South Africa is much cheaper than in the US, which may cost in the region of €25,000 (around 26,000 USD). This explains why South Africa is an attractive option for US citizens seeking egg donation IVF.

IVF costs abroad - popular countries
Country / IVF treatment type	Egg donation costs	IVF own eggs costs
Spain	€5,900 – €11,000	€4,100 – €7,100
Czech Republic	€4,500 – €8,000	€2,700 – €5,700
Greece	€5,000 – €8,000	€3,200 – €6,200
North Cyprus	€4,500 – €6,000	€2,700 – €5,700
Portugal	€6,000 - €8,000	€3,200 – €6,200
Latvia	€5,000 – €8,000	€3,200 – €6,200
UK	€10,000 - €14,000	€6,000 - €10,000
Denmark	€7,000 - €8,300	€3,300 - €4,500
South Africa	€3,838 - €6,142	€4,354 - €5,122
Argentina	€5,700 - €9,530	€3,330 - €5,000
Ukraine	€4,000 – €7,000	€2,200 – €5,200
Poland	€4,000 – €6,000	€2,200 – €5,200
Russia	€3,800 – €7,000	€2,000 – €5,000

Sources: IVF Aroad Patients Guide, WhereIVF.com >>> | Patients Enquiries Reports 2013-2019, Fertility Clinics Abroad Ltd., Edinburgh, August 2019 | Patients Enquiries Report’s 2013-2019, IVF Media Ltd., Dublin, August 2019

It’s important to note that not all IVF clinics are transparent about their pricing. Some clinics don’t highlight any additional costs that could be incurred during treatments. When obtaining a quote from a clinic, always check exactly what is covered in the price, including:

• The donor’s expenses, medication and screening
• Egg retrieval
• Sperm collection and preparation
• ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)
• IVF add-on treatments (such as PGT-A and assisted hatching)
• Transfer of blastocysts
• Vitrification (freezing) of embryos/blastocysts
• Storage of frozen embryos/blastocysts
• Frozen embryo transfer

Egg Donation IVF in South Africa – success rates

The success rate for IVF using the patient’s own eggs is 45%-62% for women under 35, depending on the clinic. This figure rises to around 80% after three transfers. For patients using donor eggs, the success rate stands between 50-65%, which is comparable to other countries.

When it comes to choosing a fertility clinic, it’s important to remember that each patient is different and prognoses can vary greatly depending on the individual, with their age, BMI, medical history and infertility diagnosis playing a part in the outcome. We advise calling the clinic before scheduling an appointment to seek clarification about their success rates. Any fertility clinic should ask about your medical history in detail, including your age, weight, height, infertility diagnosis, the number of failed cycles, performed tests and procedures, before giving you a personalised prognosis. If they are unable to do this, then proceed with caution.

Your individual chances for a successful IVF treatment in South Africa Remember that average success rates shouldn’t be the primary deciding factor for your choice of clinic. Each patient is different – they have place different emphasis and importance on infertility diagnoses and medical histories. As such, the prognoses for each patient can vary greatly and usually are different from the presented average success rates of each clinic. If you want clarification about a clinic’s success rates, call the clinic before scheduling an appointment – describe your medical history in detail, including your age, weight, height, the infertility diagnosis, the number of failed cycles, performed tests and procedures etc. and ask for your individual success prognosis. ×

Best Egg Donation IVF clinics in South Africa

According to reviews and comments left by previous patients, the best IVF clinics in South Africa are located in major cities such as Pretoria, Cape Town and Johannesburg. But there is no easy answer to the question of which is the best IVF clinic in South Africa. However, as a good rule of thumb, the best IVF clinics in South Africa are usually the most popular ones.

Legal aspects of IVF in South Africa

IVF and IVF egg donation in South Africa is tightly regulated by the country’s Department of Health. The relevant legislation is the Artificial Fertilisation of Persons, which is part of the National Health Act.

The Southern African Society of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endoscopy (SASREG) supports specialists working in reproductive medicine in the country and has produced comprehensive best practice guidelines on various aspects of fertility treatments, including egg donation, embryo transfers and endometriosis treatment.

IVF in South Africa – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Help me find a clinic Resources used in this article:

• The Southern African Society of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecological Endoscopy (SASREG)
  https://sasreg.co.za/
• National Health Act, 2003 {Act No. 61 of 2003). Regulations relating to artificial fertilisation of persons
• https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/35099rg9699gon175.pdf
  Children’s Act 38 of 2005
• https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/2005-038%20childrensact.pdf