Each day, around 120 South Africans sign up as potential stem-cell donors, offering hope to over 19,000 patients battling blood cancers and disorders who need a transplant to survive.
While this process is free for individuals, each registration incurs a cost of around R2,500 for non-profits working to grow and diversify the local registry. With corporate social investment (CSI) expenditure increasing by 7.5% in 2024, South African businesses are increasingly stepping up to create meaningful impact and save lives.
This is according to Palesa Mokomele, head of community engagement and communications at DKMS Africa, who explains that these costs rise further when organisations also cover expenses associated with blood stem-cell donations, including travel, meals, accommodation, and medical visits.
“In support of these efforts, South African businesses dedicated 9% of their CSI budgets to the health sector in 2024, up from 6% in 2023. While this is an encouraging shift, it still falls short of the 26% that health services receive in the United States.”
She does, however, applaud the 171.4% rise in tertiary healthcare spending, which is helping cancer patients gain access to the specialised care they need, potentially improving their treatment outcomes.
Closing healthcare investment gap
“Despite this increase, tertiary healthcare still receives just 19% of CSI spend, while primary healthcare accounts for 73%, highlighting a significant gap.”
Another critical area – healthcare education, training, and capacity building – has seen a 9% boost in funding. “This is critical for raising awareness about blood cancers and blood disorders along with their treatment,” notes Mokomele.
“The private sector’s continued contribution is vital if South Africa is to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing by 2030, especially in meeting the target of significantly increasing health financing,” she points out. “Moreover, this involvement could drive much-needed improvements in the country’s health sector.
“Nobody with a blood cancer or blood disorder should die because they are unable to find a matching stem cell donor.
“As businesses prepare for the new financial year, we call for their increased support in continuing our efforts to register as many potential donors as possible, ensuring that, one day, a match can be found for everyone in need.
“Together, we can make this a reality. The more companies and organisations contribute, the more lives we can save,” concludes Mokomele.
