The Masakhane Bone Marrow Initiative is a project of the Igazi Foundation, the only haemotological NGO in the country dedicated to improving blood cancer and blood disease services in South Africa.
South Africa's bone marrow register consists of more than 60 000 names, but fewer than 5000 thousand are black donors.
Zodwa Dube of the Igazi Foundation says they want to increase that number.
"The thing is we need to stop thinking that it's not my problem. It is our problem as black people. We need to realise that if we can't find donors amongst ourselves it will be difficult to find anywhere else. The chances are very, very few that you'll find a donor across a different race," she said.
Dube said they will be having a big drive at Baywest Mall on the 19th of July where they're trying to sign up between 50 and 100 donors and "we're trying to make it a world first for black donors."
She said that being a bone marrow donor is making a big commitment to that process. "Me collecting your blood does not mean that I'm going to use it today. I could need you in 10 years to you have to be committed," she said.
Dube said that they have three to four contact sessions to make sure that the donor has really thought about it.
According to Thulani Madonsela of the Eastern Cape Health Department, there are some cultural matters to overcome.
