RESOURCES

Frequently asked questions about assisted dying

• Is assisted dying legal in SA?

No. As of 2025, assisted dying — including physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia — is illegal in South Africa. DignitySA will be submitting a court case to challenge this on constitutional grounds. If we are successful though, it will still take many years for legislation that will guide the processes and ensure that it is safely implemented in SA to be put in place.

• Can DignitySA help me to die?

No, it is currently illegal to do so in South Africa. 

• I have heard that Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) is an option for ending my life. Would you recommend this?

VSED is not a straightforward process, and for many people who choose this route, it becomes protracted and agonising. We recommend that you do a lot more research on and talk to your doctor before choosing a risky course like this. Our podcast The Patient Patient tells the story of a young local man who tried but found this route impossible to follow, especially on their own.

• Is medically assisted dying the same as euthanasia?

Euthanasia literally means a ‘good death,’ but it has negative connotations with involuntary death, such as the Holocaust. In physician-administered assisted dying (also known as euthanasia), a doctor or third party directly ends a person's life, usually by administering a lethal substance. What is important to note, though, is that this is a highly legislated process where consent is critical and the aim is to relieve suffering. An alternative is medically assisted dying, where a medical professional prepares the medication but the patient themselves administers it.

• I am considering travelling to Switzerland to access assisted dying. What do I need to know?

Travelling to Switzerland to access assisted dying at either Dignitas or Pegasos is a very expensive process, and the organisations will apply their own checks and balances. It may take months for this to be approved, and you will need to be well enough to make travel and other arrangements yourself and to undertake international travel. For those with time and money, this is an option, but far out of reach for most, which is one of the reasons that DignitySA is campaigning for the legalisation of assisted dying in South Africa.

• Do you recommend The Peaceful Pill Handbook?

Exit International’s Peaceful Pill Handbook is a comprehensive, frequently updated resource. The online version is only available to people over 50 years of age and is fairly expensive at 95 pounds (over R2,000).

• Is palliative care a legal alternative to assisted dying?

Yes, palliative care is an excellent form of comprehensive care that we encourage everyone who has a life-threatening illness to access. It focuses on pain management, symptom control, and emotional support, but notably, practitioners of palliative medicine act neither to hasten nor to postpone death. For more about palliative care, click here.

• Are doctors allowed to help patients die more quickly through palliative sedation?

Doctors may use palliative sedation in cases of extreme suffering, but the intent must be symptom relief — not to cause death.