South African Bone Marrow Registry

Stem Cell Donor Registry and Bone Marrow Transplant Servicessabmr.co.za

South African Bone Marrow Registry is a WMDA-accredited non-profit stem cell donor registry founded in 1991, matching South African blood-disorder patients with 78,000+ local donors and 43M+ global donors across 76 international registries.

Company typePrivate
Founded1991
HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

South African Bone Marrow Registry firmographics

Firmographics

Name: South African Bone Marrow Registry
Legal name: South African Bone Marrow Registry
Website: https://sabmr.co.za
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1991
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: South African Bone Marrow Registry is a WMDA-accredited non-profit stem cell donor registry founded in 1991, matching South African blood-disorder patients with 78,000+ local donors and 43M+ global donors across 76 international registries.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

South African Bone Marrow Registry industry classification

Industry

Product category: Stem Cell Donor Registry and Bone Marrow Transplant Services
NAICS: Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
SIC: Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)
akta.pro primary industry: Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplant (BMT/HSCT) (HLAKAFAI)
akta.pro secondary industry: Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

Keywords

Stem cell donor registry
Bone marrow matching
Unrelated donor search
Hematopoietic transplantation services
Donor recruitment services

Where South African Bone Marrow Registry is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Cape Town
HQ country: South Africa
HQ region: Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

South African Bone Marrow Registry business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Individual Donations: One-time and recurring financial donations from individuals to support donor recruitment, testing, and patient assistance programs.
Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate sponsors who fund the organization to help connect lifesaving donors and advance research.
National Lotto Funding: Government funding through the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise (specialty socks) with proceeds supporting SABMR programs. Products sold at R200 per item.
Bequests/Legacy Giving: Planned gifts through wills including specific bequests, general bequests, percentage bequests, and residual bequests.
MySchool Card Program: Percentage of purchases donated when supporters choose SABMR as their MySchool beneficiary card recipient.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	One time	Specialty Socks (Sexy Fusion/Kapow)
Other	One time	Buccal Swab Kit Donation
Subscription	Pay-as-you-go	Patient Search Services

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

South African Bone Marrow Registry product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The South African Bone Marrow Registry operates a non-profit, WMDA-accredited stem cell donor registry that maintains over 78,000 local donors and provides access to 43+ million donors globally through 76 international registries. It coordinates unrelated donor searches for South African patients with blood cancers and disorders, performs HLA tissue typing and matching, and facilitates stem cell cryopreservation and international transport. The organization also runs a Patient Assistance Programme providing financial support to patients who cannot afford transplant costs.

Product overview

The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) operates as a non-profit, WMDA-accredited registry offering a unified platform of services centered on bone marrow and stem cell donor matching. The core offering consists of the SABMR Registry Services, which maintains over 78,000 local donors with access to 43+ million donors globally through 76 international registries. Supporting services include the Patient Assistance Programme (PAP) for financial support, Patient Guidebooks in PDF format covering transplant preparation through recovery, and a 3D Flip-Book Donor Guide for education. Additional offerings include Patient Care Packs for paediatric patients, a Shop selling branded merchandise with proceeds funding programmes, and the #50Squad volunteer recruitment programme. Medical professionals can access a portal with Preliminary Search and Search Activation forms for coordinating donor searches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

SABMR Registry Services WMDA-accredited bone marrow and stem cell donor registry that maintains over 78,000 local donors and provides access to 43+ million donors through 76 international partner registries for matching South African patients with unrelated donors.
Patient Search Services (Preliminary Search & Search Activation) Physician-facing search services providing Preliminary Search Request Form (free) and Search Activation Form for initiating donor searches, with fees applying at the confirmatory HLA testing stage for eligible patients.
Patient Assistance Programme (PAP) Financial assistance programme that helps cover costs for eligible patients who cannot afford donor searches, HLA testing, and cell procurement for stem cell transplants.
Patient Care Packs Specially curated care packs containing comfort items, activity supplies, hygiene products, and informational guides for paediatric patients undergoing stem cell transplants and their families.
Donor Registration Services (Buccal Swab Kit) Free donor registration service for eligible individuals aged 16-45, providing online registration with buccal swab kit delivery to the donor's home to complete enrollment in the registry.
Corporate & Community Donor Drives Partner-hosted corporate wellness days, community drives, and awareness events with bone marrow registry education and on-site donor registration to recruit donors.
Financial Donation Programme One-time and recurring financial donation programme from individuals and corporate sponsors supporting donor recruitment, testing, and patient assistance programs, with suggested donation amounts including R200 for one buccal swab kit, R500 for marketing/awareness, R1,000 for HLA typing of one donor, and R5,000 to fully sponsor a new donor.
SABMR Shop Merchandise Retail merchandise including branded compression socks (Sexy Fusion and Sexy Kapow designs) with medically-approved athlete-endorsed technology; proceeds support SABMR programmes. Priced at R200 per pair with R70 South Africa shipping and free shipping on orders R500+.

Quantifiable outcome

75% of matches for South African patients come from abroad, demonstrating global network necessity
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use South African Bone Marrow Registry

Customer profile

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

South African Bone Marrow Registry technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

South African Bone Marrow Registry partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

Orgamites Education ProgrammestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to pilot 'Mayrrow' campaign educating primary school children (ages 5-11) about organ health and stem cell donation through animated 'Orgamites' characters. Includes free resources for teachers, parents, and healthcare professionals.
Matches on the Map CampaignstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Inter-continental stem cell recruitment drive spanning 64 countries over 10 years, launched by former transplant survivor Robin Lewis and his wife Jolandie. SABMR participates in South Africa, with over 1,000 eligible donor sign-ups achieved so far.
World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA)coreTechnology or IntegrationWMDA accreditation confirms SABMR meets international gold standards for stem cell donor registries. The accreditation validates the organization's commitment to global standards in donor and patient safety, data quality, and operational excellence. SABMR participates in the global network of registries.
76 International RegistriescoreTechnology or IntegrationSABMR collaborates with 76 international registries worldwide, accessing 43+ million potential donors. This global network is essential as 75% of matches for South African patients come from abroad.
South African Blood Transfusion Service (SANBS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSANBS refers platelet donors and coordinates blood donation center locations where SABMR representatives conduct donor recruitment. SANBS also provides nursing staff for stem cell harvest procedures.
Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCBS refers platelet donors in the Western Cape province for matched platelet donations required by certain patients.
Groote Schuur HospitalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSABMR is headquartered within Groote Schuur Hospital facilities. The hospital serves as the collection center for stem cell donations in Cape Town, with transplant unit handled by the associated medical team.
International Donor Registry Conference (IDRC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner14th International Donor Registry Conference held in Cape Town June 25-29, marking the event's second return to South Africa. SABMR facilitates donor-recipient meetings at this conference.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

South African Bone Marrow Registry competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Regional players

Sunflower Fund: South African non-profit focused on recruiting stem cell donors and funding HLA typing costs. Operates alongside SABMR in the same country with overlapping donor recruitment mission.

Direct peers

DKMS: Germany-headquartered global stem cell donor registry operating in multiple countries with similarly WMDA-accredited standards. Directly comparable in donor recruitment, HLA typing, and cross-border match logistics.
NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program): The largest US-based stem cell donor registry, operating a near-identical model of donor recruitment, HLA typing, and global match facilitation. The most direct functional peer to SABMR's registry operations.
Anthony Nolan: UK-based charity operating a stem cell donor registry with international search capabilities. Comparable as a non-profit, WMDA-affiliated registry with similar funding mix (donations, volunteering) and patient assistance.
Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: National stem cell donor registry for Australia, WMDA-accredited, performing donor recruitment and facilitating international matches. A direct peer in registry operations and global network integration.
Gift of Life Marrow Registry: US-based non-profit stem cell and bone marrow donor registry with active donor recruitment and global match coordination. Directly comparable in operating model and donor-recipient services.
DATRI Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry: India's largest adult unrelated blood stem cell donors registry, addressing a similar South Asian genetic diversity challenge. Directly comparable in donor recruitment and HLA-typing-driven matching.
BMDP (Bone Marrow Donor Programme): Singapore-based non-profit stem cell donor registry that recruits donors and facilitates international matches. Comparable as a smaller regional registry operating within the global WMDA network.

Others

World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA): International standards body that accredits and connects global donor registries. SABMR's accreditation and integration are routed through WMDA, making it the most relevant ecosystem reference.

Broad incumbents

Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry: Canadian blood operator that maintains a stem cell donor registry as part of a broader national blood and biologic services mandate. Comparable on registry services but operates in a much wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

South African Bone Marrow Registry compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance2 records

South African Bone Marrow Registry financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

South African Bone Marrow Registry leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

South African Bone Marrow Registry funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

South African Bone Marrow Registry M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South African Bone Marrow Registry

What does South African Bone Marrow Registry do?

Is South African Bone Marrow Registry a public or private company?

South African Bone Marrow Registry is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was South African Bone Marrow Registry founded?

South African Bone Marrow Registry was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is South African Bone Marrow Registry based?

South African Bone Marrow Registry is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.

How does South African Bone Marrow Registry make money?

Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, national Lotto Funding, merchandise Sales, bequests/Legacy Giving and mySchool Card Program.

Who are South African Bone Marrow Registry's main competitors?

Sunflower Fund is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are DKMS, NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program), Anthony Nolan, Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, Gift of Life Marrow Registry, DATRI Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry and BMDP (Bone Marrow Donor Programme). World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) is listed as an others. Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does South African Bone Marrow Registry have an API?

No public API is recorded for South African Bone Marrow Registry.

What industry is South African Bone Marrow Registry in?

South African Bone Marrow Registry's product category is Stem Cell Donor Registry and Bone Marrow Transplant Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAFAI, Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplant (BMT/HSCT), with a secondary code of BPAGACAJ, Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations. Its NAICS code is 621991 and its SIC code is 8000.