Short answer: to become an egg donor in South Africa with Egg Donation South Africa (EDSA), you need to be between 19 and 29, have a normal BMI and have no family history of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. You apply, meet our egg donation coordinator, complete a medical and psychological screening, and join our anonymous donor database. You are compensated R8 000 every time you donate, and you pay nothing for the medical side of your donation.
EDSA was founded in 2007 and is South Africa’s first egg donor agency. This guide walks you through each step so you know exactly what to expect before you decide.
Who can become an egg donor?
To donate through EDSA you must:
- Be between 19 and 29 years old
- Have a normal Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Have no family history of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
Ready to start? Fill in the EDSA application form or read the donors page.
Why is the age limit 19 to 29?
The legal age range for donors is 18 to 35, but EDSA works with a narrower range. Women aged 35 and older are considered to be of “advanced” maternal age, and egg quality and quantity decrease rapidly after 35. That is why so many women need donor eggs, and why donors should be younger than 35.
Why does BMI matter?
BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in metres. A healthy BMI matters for your own health as a donor, as well as for the effect a higher or lower BMI can have on your own fertility and egg quality.
The egg donation process, step by step
- Get in touch. Contact us and we will take you through the application process.
- Meet our egg donation coordinator. This is your chance to ask every question you have and get a feel for the process.
- Complete the application form. It covers your family’s medical history, your physical traits and your personality, and helps us create your anonymous profile.
- Medical and psychological screening. Once your application is approved, you are booked for screening, including an appointment with a clinical social worker or psychologist, a doctor’s consultation, a scan and a blood test.
- Join the programme. Once your screenings are approved, you become an official EDSA egg donor.
- Your profile goes onto our anonymous donor database, where recipients can choose you.
- Your coordinator confirms the details of your donation cycle once you are selected.
What happens during a donation cycle?
You use the same medication as fertility patients undergoing IVF. Your coordinator and the fertility specialist plan the sequence, dosage and schedule for you, and give you detailed instructions. The injections are given with a small pen-like device just under the skin, usually around the belly, and most donors say the process is easier than expected.
Once your injections have started, you will see the doctor for 3 to 4 ultrasound appointments so they can check how your body is responding and measure your growing follicles. The ultrasound is done vaginally and is painless.
The egg retrieval itself is done under general anaesthetic. Afterwards you may feel slight cramping, similar to period pains, and it is advisable not to exercise on the day of your retrieval. Some donors have mild PMS-type symptoms during the cycle, such as moodiness, tender breasts, bloating or mild headaches, and you can continue with your normal routine while you donate.
Where you donate depends on the recipient’s doctor, because EDSA works with clinics across the country.
How much are donors compensated?
You are compensated R8 000 every time you donate, paid into your bank account. You do not pay for any of the medical procedures or medical aspects of your donation. For more on how compensation works in South Africa, read where you can donate and what you are paid.
Is egg donation legal and anonymous?
Yes. Egg donation is legal in South Africa and is done on an anonymous basis. Everything EDSA does is governed by the National Health Act (Act 61 of 2003), and an ethical body, SASREG, oversees the process.
Recipients only know you by a donor alias and see limited information such as age, height, weight, eye and hair colour, occupation, education, interests and personality. Your name and adult photos are never disclosed, and only childhood photos up to age 10 are seen by recipients. You are free from any responsibility to a child born from your donation. A donor may not have more than 6 children born from her donations, and many donors donate more than once.
Will donating affect my fertility?
It is extremely unlikely. The eggs retrieved are eggs that would otherwise have been lost naturally during your cycle. Donors are also cautioned to avoid falling pregnant during a donation cycle, as you are very fertile while on the medication. Read more in can donating eggs impact your future fertility? and how many times can a woman donate?
Are there any risks?
Complications are rare. The best known is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), where the ovaries become swollen and painful after the stimulation medication, causing bloating, abdominal pain and nausea. Severe OHSS happens in about 1.5% of egg donor cycles, and if it occurs you are cared for and monitored by our doctor. There is also a small risk of infection, similar to getting a tattoo or piercing. Donor care and monitoring are prioritised throughout.
Who receives your eggs?
Recipients include women who have had chemotherapy or radiation, women in early menopause, women with genetic conditions they do not want to pass on, and women with poor quality eggs. You can also donate to LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. See how egg donation helps LGBTQ+ families.
Egg donor FAQs
How old do you have to be to donate eggs in South Africa?
With EDSA, donors are between 19 and 29 years old.
How much do egg donors get paid?
EDSA compensates donors R8 000 every time they donate, paid into their bank account.
Will the recipient know who I am?
No. Donation is anonymous and recipients only know your donor alias.
Does egg donation hurt?
The scans are painless and the retrieval is done under general anaesthetic. You may feel slight cramping afterwards, like period pains.
Do I need to pay for any medical costs?
No. You do not pay for any of the medical procedures or medical aspects of your donation.
More questions? Visit our full egg donor FAQs, see our egg donation in Cape Town page, or start your application today.