Is benefit sharing with research participants lawful in South Africa? An unexplored question in the governance of genomics research

Despite advocacy in favour of benefit sharing with research participants in genomics research that is conducted in South Africa, there has been little critical legal engagement with this concept. That is what this article provides by posing the hitherto unexplored—but foundational—question: Is benefit sharing with research participants lawful in South Africa? The answer is clearly ‘no’. South African law provides that it is unlawful to provide any financial or other reward to research participants for donating biospecimens—except for reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred. Accordingly, benefit sharing would be unlawful. The ramifications of this conclusion are far-reaching. Most pertinently, should any benefit-sharing agreements with research be put into practice, such agreements would be unenforceable and would expose all parties involved—including foreign collaborators—to criminal prosecution. The solution for proponents of benefit sharing in South Africa would be to lobby the South African government to revise the relevant law. However, as long as the law remains as it currently is, institutions and individuals all over the world who are involved in genomics research in South Africa would be well advised to comply with the law by not engaging in benefit sharing with research participants.