Dear fellow transplant and tissue banking colleagues,

We are delighted to announce that the South African Transplant Society will once again collaborate with the South African Tissue Bank Association to host the biennial 29th SATS and 6th SATiBA congress.

The organizing committee would like to extend a warm invitation to all stakeholders interested in transplantation to join us for an event that promises to be an exciting opportunity to meet with some of the most influential national and international academics and experts in the field today.

The congress will be held from 11-13 November 2022 at the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Studies (STIAS). This picturesque venue finds itself located in the vibrant city of Stellenbosch and surrounded by world-famous vineyards and nestled within the mountains.

The congress will kick off on Friday 11 November with morning pre-congress workshops and will be opened formally after midday. Transplantation, as well as tissue banking, has seen major scientific barriers overcome in the past 2 years and the opening plenary session will feature these topics at its forefront, with several world-leading experts committed to contributing.

For Transplantation, Saturday 12 November will host a morning session dedicated to transplantation in the paediatric population, with an overlap session where keynote speakers will address advances made in cell-based therapies and immunotolerance in both the adult and paediatric recipient groups. Saturday afternoon will see a session committed to liver transplantation in the adult population.

Sunday 13 November will conclude the transplant meeting with a morning session on kidney transplantation followed by a session on intensive care in transplantation and the role of interventional radiology in treating the transplant patient.

In collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Gewebetransplantation (DGFG), SATiBA will run a dedicated four hour workshop on Donor Management – from referral to recovery.

Saturday morning’s scientific session will focus on topics ranging from processing of musculoskeletal tissue, skin and cornea, utilization of amniotic membrane, blood and blood-related topics, through to cell & gene therapy. The afternoon international session will focus on various presentations addressing the state of tissue banking around the world and include the AGM of the World Union of Tissue Bank Associations (WUTBA).

Sunday morning will be dedicated to a Round Table Discussion on tissue banking in Africa.

Everyone is invited to attend Saturday evening’s gala dinner hosted at the illustrious Lanserac wine estate, and promises both a great night out and abundant networking opportunities.

We look forward to welcoming you and your colleagues at the 29th SATS and 6th SATiBA international congress, and we hope that this event will contribute to moving South African transplantation into the future.

See you there!

Francisca van der Schyff
Congress Chairperson
Transplant Surgeon
Wits Donald Gordon Medical Center