The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) has warned that O-negative blood supplies are critically low and are calling for donors to roll up their sleeves. The WCBS Stellenbosch blood drive runs from 17 to 20 February at the VV Hall in the Neelsie Student Centre.
The goal at WCBS is to consistently maintain a five-day supply of all blood groups to ensure zero delay in patient treatment. “This stability does not happen by chance,” said Bongiwe Sipunzi, WCBS public relations practitioner. “It is made possible by donors who choose to give regularly. Blood cannot be manufactured.”
This stability is especially necessary when the supply of certain blood groups drops. That group is currently O-negative.
The O-negative blood group, also named the universal donor, is first to be used in emergencies when there is no time to determine a patient’s blood type. “When these levels are low, it places extra pressure on the healthcare system and highlights how important regular donations are,” Sipunzi said.
According to Sipunzi, blood must be distributed to multiple blood banks across the province to meet the current needs of patients. Each region where blood is sent has a specific target that must be met to ensure ease of access for hospital staff. “Regular donations help ensure [that] these targets are consistently met.”
According to the WCBS official website, 1% of the provincial population’s blood is needed for the organisation to remain sustainable. With only 66 780 of the 7.6 million citizens in the Western Cape actively donating, this percentage is not being met. The need for blood donations is pressing.
“Patients rely on blood every day,” said Marike Carli, WCBS public relations manager. “From accident victims and cancer patients to premature babies and mothers during childbirth, the demand for blood never takes a break.”
The difference donating makes is seen in the life of a student who arrived to donate blood herself. “I see it as a personal responsibility,” said Nafta Diseko, a fourth-year chemical engineering student at Stellenbosch University, whose life was saved by a blood transfusion during a heart operation when she was seven days old. “I’ve received blood, so it’s only fair to give blood.”
WCBS will be in the VV Hall in the Neelsie this week from 10:00 till 16:00 until 20 February 2026. For anyone unable to donate this week, visit the WCBS website wcbs.org.za to find your nearest blood donation clinic on their yearly calendar.