Egg and embryo freezing
Freezing gives you time and options. Whether you have embryos left after treatment or want to protect your own fertility, here is what you need to know.
Embryo freezing
When a cycle produces more good-quality embryos than are transferred, the extras can be frozen for later. It’s one of the quiet advantages of donor egg treatment. A single donor cycle can create embryos for more than one transfer. Possibly even more than one child.
Egg freezing
Eggs are collected after a stimulation cycle and frozen unfertilised. It’s an option if you want to delay starting a family or need to protect your fertility before medical treatment.
How freezing works
Today’s clinics use vitrification, a flash-freezing technique. It cools eggs and embryos so fast that damaging ice crystals can’t form, which gives high survival rates when they are thawed.
Collect
Eggs are retrieved after a stimulation cycle. For embryos, they are fertilised first.
Vitrify
They are flash-frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at minus 196°C.
Use when ready
When you are ready, they are thawed. Eggs are fertilised and embryos are transferred.
Decide what happens to your embryos
Most people focus on creating embryos, not on what to do with the ones left over. That’s completely understandable. It’s still far easier to make these decisions early than under pressure later.
Clinic policies differ, so ask yours what options you will have.
Put it in writing. Record what should happen to your embryos if you separate or divorce, or if you or your partner pass away.
- Keep them frozenFor a future transfer or sibling. Annual storage fees apply.
- Donate to another familyGive another recipient the chance to become a parent.
- Donate to researchIncluding stem cell research, where your clinic allows it.
- Allow them to perishNot every clinic permits this, so check their policy.
- Freeze eggs insteadFreezing some eggs unfertilised avoids creating surplus embryos.
- Coming from abroad?Agree storage or transport and its costs with your clinic upfront.
Who might consider egg freezing?
Egg quality declines with age, especially after 35. Freezing eggs earlier preserves their quality at the age they were frozen.
- Before cancer treatmentChemotherapy and radiation can damage eggs. Contact a fertility clinic urgently. Eggs must be collected before treatment starts.
- Delaying a familyStudying, building a career or not yet with the right partner.
- EndometriosisA progressive condition that can affect the ovaries over time.
- Objection to freezing embryosFor religious or personal reasons, freezing eggs avoids surplus embryos.
- No sample on the dayIf a partner can’t provide sperm on retrieval day, eggs can be frozen instead.
- Egg donationSome clinics now freeze donor eggs in egg banks for future recipients.
Worth knowing: success depends mostly on your age when the eggs are frozen and how many are stored. Ask your clinic for realistic numbers, not just reassurance.
Where to freeze
All of South Africa’s major fertility clinics offer embryo freezing and storage. These clinics have confirmed egg freezing programmes:
Using another clinic? Ask them directly whether they offer egg freezing or embryo storage only. See fertility clinics.
What it costs
Most clinics don’t publish prices. Quotes vary with age, medication response and what’s included. Use these figures as a rough guide only.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Egg freezing cycle, procedure only | R18 000 to R25 000 |
| Stimulation medication | R8 000 to R15 000 |
| All-inclusive egg freezing cycle | R40 000 to R70 000 |
| Annual storage, eggs or embryos | R2 000 to R4 000 |
| Frozen embryo transfer later | R15 000 to R25 000 |
Indicative 2026 figures. Always ask your clinic for a full written quote.
Questions to ask your clinic
- Is the first year of storage included?
- Is medication included in the quote?
- What will it cost to thaw, fertilise and transfer later?
- What is the maximum storage period?
- What happens if storage fees lapse?
- Do your frozen transfer success rates match your fresh ones?
Not sure what’s right for you?
We can help you think through your options and point you to the right clinic. Ask us anything.
International Intended Parents