DNA Testing in SA

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coenie777

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I am looking to do a comprehensive ancestry and health dna test.

Does anyone have any local suggestions or is it better going via one of the overseas companies (Myheritage, 23andMe etc)?

Any local suggestions backed by some good personal experience would be appreciated.
 
Did mine through MyHeritage.com.
7weeks , all-in.

But make sure you understand what you will get vs. what you expect from an "Ancestral DNA test" .

Facebook

www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

Local costs about 6x more, roughly the same wait.
 
Go through Ancestry.com. They are the biggest around the world and probably the best to go through. Make use of MyUS or Aramex to order your kit from them and return it via DHL or Fedex.

You are wasting your time, efforts and money to consider any local service in South Africa.

Plus, see the post above. You may well be dissappointed with the results you will get.
 
Thank you for the replies,

I am currently a member of Ancestry.com so maybe that would be my best option. I will check out the details of them and MyHeritage and pick one.

I know the results are not overwhelming, I actually need it to validate my current family tree which I build up. I know the nationalities of my great and great great great.... grandparents, so hopefully, a test will confirm this. I also know of international DNA projects where my paternal ancestors were traced to around 1000AD, hopefully, a test will allow me to slot into that data via my established lines.

Thanks also for the FB page, will check it out.
 
coenie777 said:
Thank you for the replies,

I am currently a member of Ancestry.com so maybe that would be my best option. I will check out the details of them and MyHeritage and pick one.

I know the results are not overwhelming, I actually need it to validate my current family tree which I build up. I know the nationalities of my great and great great great.... grandparents, so hopefully, a test will confirm this. I also know of international DNA projects where my paternal ancestors were traced to around 1000AD, hopefully, a test will allow me to slot into that data via my established lines.

Thanks also for the FB page, will check it out.
Click to expand...
You could be wasting your money.
To have a definitive result, all the Y-carriers (fathers) need to have their DNA tested.

ghr.nlm.nih.gov

MedlinePlus: Genetics

MedlinePlus Genetics provides information about the effects of genetic variation on human health. Learn about genetic conditions, genes, chromosomes, and more.
ghr.nlm.nih.gov ghr.nlm.nih.gov
 
coenie777 said:
I know the results are not overwhelming, I actually need it to validate my current family tree which I build up. I know the nationalities of my great and great great great.... grandparents, so hopefully, a test will confirm this. I also know of international DNA projects where my paternal ancestors were traced to around 1000AD, hopefully, a test will allow me to slot into that data via my established lines.
Click to expand...

If you want to go back that far you're going to be stuck with birth certs, marriage certs & census or other documentation to validate anything definitively. DNA testing that far back will just confirm origin data.
 
swakop_toe said:
You could be wasting your money.
To have a definitive result, all the Y-carriers (fathers) need to have their DNA tested.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that link, sounds like my expectations were a bit higher than what the solution will entail. Food for thought.

quovadis said:
If you want to go back that far you're going to be stuck with birth certs, marriage certs & census or other documentation to validate anything definitively. DNA testing that far back will just confirm origin data.
Click to expand...
I have covered it that far back already pretty much with the certificates etc. you are referring to. I would say at least 60% of all my linked ancestors. Maybe genetic testing should be left for the medical insights as I already pretty much know where all my ancestors originated from.

The discussion helped a lot, thanks to all.
 
coenie777 said:
Thanks for that link, sounds like my expectations were a bit higher than what the solution will entail. Food for thought.


I have covered it that far back already pretty much with the certificates etc. you are referring to. I would say at least 60% of all my linked ancestors. Maybe genetic testing should be left for the medical insights as I already pretty much know where all my ancestors originated from.

The discussion helped a lot, thanks to all.
Click to expand...

I’ve noticed that with time more and more records get digitized and made available online. I’ve done both sides of my heritage with at least 2 supporting docs per link back to the mid 1700s so far. Also, be careful of relying on others work too as there’s plenty of research which is just assumed or where a single mistake can invalidate a lot of later research. I revisit it every 18 months as new research comes to light.
 
quovadis said:
I’ve noticed that with time more and more records get digitized and made available online. I’ve done both sides of my heritage with at least 2 supporting docs per link back to the mid 1700s so far. Also, be careful of relying on others work too as there’s plenty of research which is just assumed or where a single mistake can invalidate a lot of later research. I revisit it every 18 months as new research comes to light.
Click to expand...
Definitely my approach too. If I cannot find a document to back something I try for at least two different sources, preferably three. Working across multiple sites like Ancestry, MyHeritage etc, helps me getting some degree of confidence in the links. I also plan once done, to spend some months on checking each entry again, as you say, new information does become available some times.
 
Now now, let's not jump to conclusions here. I was asking for a friend....
 
Is it possible to test if siblings share same two parents? It’s not in dispute that the mom is the same but they want to find out if they are of the same father. Asking for a “friend”… can the samples just from the siblings be able to prove or disprove that they share the same father, father died so they can’t obtain his sample. Mom isn’t forthcoming with information, she’s economical with the truth, dismissive. The current story being told is that the fathers are different. But the siblings believe otherwise because they literally both look similar - twin like, even people notice this. And they don’t look like their mom. I’m guessing such a test will be kind of pricey because it’s not a as simple as a paternity test
 
zulucat said:
Is it possible to test if siblings share same two parents? It’s not in dispute that the mom is the same but they want to find out if they are of the same father. Asking for a “friend”… can the samples just from the siblings be able to prove or disprove that they share the same father, father died so they can’t obtain his sample. Mom isn’t forthcoming with information, she’s economical with the truth, dismissive. The current story being told is that the fathers are different. But the siblings believe otherwise because they literally both look similar - twin like, even people notice this. And they don’t look like their mom. I’m guessing such a test will be kind of pricey because it’s not a as simple as a paternity test
Click to expand...
What are the sexes of the siblings?
 
coenie777 said:
I am looking to do a comprehensive ancestry and health dna test.

Does anyone have any local suggestions or is it better going via one of the overseas companies (Myheritage, 23andMe etc)?

Any local suggestions backed by some good personal experience would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
23andMe have experienced a data breach recently.

My sister went with MyHeritage. I shipped their test here and then took it back with me on a work trip to the US and mailed it. Given some delays I had I could prob have just sent it DHL from here to US in less time lol.
 
zulucat said:
Male and female
Click to expand...
I only asked because it's more definitive depending on the type of test without a paternal sample. Two males is easiest since you can do a Y-chromosonal test which is definitive in result. Since it's male and female you can do a siblings test but it would be more accurate if provided with a sample from the mother since the test relies on statistical probability.

My advice is to contact one of the large pathology labs (Ampath/Lancet/Pathcare) depending where you are as most of these online guys are simply using these labs anyway. Ask for someone to assist with paternity testing, provide some detail and background and ask for a quotation.

If the kids are under 18 they'll require parental consent.
 
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