Western Cape – 1 June 2026: During June, the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS), celebrates National Blood Donor Month, with World Blood Donor Day observed globally on 14 June 2026.
WCBS’s June theme, “Be Remarkable”, shines a spotlight on ordinary people doing extraordinary things and is the perfect time to honour the blood donors who save lives every day.
To mark the occasion, WCBS will host several blood donation clinics across the province on Saturday, 13 June 2026, with the goal of collecting 1 000 units of blood. The day will also focus on encouraging new donors to begin donating blood, as winter is historically a challenging period for blood stocks. A larger, more sustainable donor base helps ensure a stable blood supply for patients in need.
The need for donations remains especially important as O Negative blood stocks currently stand at a two-day supply. O Negative is the universal blood group used in emergencies when there is no time to determine a patient’s blood type, making every donation particularly valuable.
“Each donation represents kindness, courage and community spirit”, says Marike Carli, Public Relations Manager at WCBS. “National Blood Donor Month is the perfect time to celebrate our blood donors, who show us that we can all be remarkable”.
WCBS will also launch its WhatsApp Channel on 1 June 2026. The channel will serve as a direct communication platform that enables the blood service to share information with donors and build an engaged community through relevant, actionable messaging. “This Channel is for everyone who wants to make a difference,” says Carli, “We are excited to share inspirational posts, donor stories, blood stock levels and urgent alerts as well as keeping blood donors up to date and informed about blood donation clinics and blood stock levels.”
Whether you’re a regular donor or want to donate for the first time, National Blood Donor Month is the ideal time to “Be Remarkable”. If you are between 16 and 75, weigh 50kg or more, are in good general health, and lead a safe sexual lifestyle, you should be able to donate. Donors are advised to eat something before visiting a clinic and to increase their fluid intake before, during, and after donation. Blood donation only takes 30 minutes of your time and you can donate blood every 56 days.
For more information or to find your closest blood donation clinic, visit www.wcbs.org.za, or send a WhatsApp to 060 549 7244. Scan the QR code below to join the WCBS’s WhatsApp channel.
Distributed by the Western Cape Blood Service
Public Relations Manager – Marike Carli
0718563625 | marike@wcbs.org.za
About the Western Cape Blood Service:
The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) is a non-profit regional health organisation, dedicated to collecting blood from voluntary blood donors, and providing the safest blood products and efficient service to the community, while operating at the highest professional and ethical standards and remaining a viable organisation. WCBS works without prejudice to supply safe blood and blood products to all communities in the region, from Cape Town all the way up to George. It’s our goal to deliver a world-class blood service in the Western Cape.
