Learning about your roots beyond your great-grandparents can bring you peace, help you understand where you came from, and allow you to take your place in the world. It can give you a sense of purpose, helping track down your current living relatives that you probably didn’t know you had. Ancestry testing can help you learn much about your roots and culture. African Ancestry Inc. offers these test reports specifically for people of African descent. Here’s what you need to know about them in 2024.
You Can Get 3000+ Health And Wellness Insights From Your Ancestry Test Data
African Ancestry Inc.
In 2003, Dr. Rick Kittles and Gina Paige founded African Ancestry Inc. in Silver Spring, Maryland.
African Ancestry is the world leader in ancestry tracing for people of African descent.
Using the world’s largest database of African DNA (with over 33,000 DNA samples), the company has helped over 7,50,000 people trace their roots, ethnicity, and family trees.
Unlike 23andMe, which offers health reports alongside ancestry reports, African Ancestry’s sole purpose is to help people find their roots.
The company helps trace your maternal and paternal lineages.
There are several online reviews of African Ancestry and their DNA tests.
African Ancestry: Tests And Results
African Ancestry offers three test kits: the MatriClan Test Kit, the PatriClan Test Kit, and the Family Celebration package.
They do not use the admixture analysis technique unlike other DNA ancestry tracing companies.
They focus on DNA from the mitochondria and Y chromosomes rather than autosomal DNA.
What's In The African Ancestry DNA Report?
After placing an order, the report takes 8-11 days to arrive.
Along with the test result, you get:
- A personalized certificate of ancestry
- Detailed information on your DNA and haplogroup
- A chance at dual citizenship if your results place you in Sierra Leone
- A “Guide to African History and Cultures” e-book
- Access to the African Ancestry community on Facebook
MatriClan Test Kit
Both males and females can take this test.
It analyzes the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inherited exclusively from biological mothers.
You share the same mtDNA as your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc.
The results include an African ethnicity and a present-day region to which your ancestry can be traced.
According to the website, 92% of MatriClan's results are African.
If you belong to the 8%, the company will determine your maternal ancestry as European, Asian, Middle-Eastern, or Indigenous American.
You will not receive any information about your ethnicity or region.
Additionally, the results place you in a haplogroup, a set of people alive today that share a common direct ancestor.
You can get the test for $299 here.
PatriClan Test Kit
Only males can take this test.
It analyzes the Y chromosome that men inherit exclusively from their biological fathers.
Females can trace their paternal lineage by having a male relative on their father’s side take it.
According to the website, 65% of PatriClan's results are African.
If you belong to the 35%, the company will determine your maternal ancestry as European, Asian, Middle-Eastern, or Indigenous American.
You will not receive any information about your ethnicity or region.
You can get the test for $299 here.
Family Celebration Bundle
The Family Celebration Bundle includes:
- One MatriClan Test Kit
- One PatriClan Test Kit
- Six additional personalized certificates
- Four African Ancestry t-shirts
The t-shirts will reflect either your country of ancestry or the African Ancestry Map.
The countries included are Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
The test is currently on sale for $729 (as of 25th September 2024).
Other than the DNA test kits, you can also shop from their collection of Ancestry Pendants, Ancestry T-shirts, and other Ancestry gifts.
How It Works
Depending on your purchase, African Ancestry tests analyze your mtDNA, Y-DNA, or autosomal DNA.
Each purchase comes with a test kit containing a swab to collect a DNA sample from your cheek.
At the lab, geneticists analyze your sample and prepare your report.
The report highlights your African ethnicity and region of origin.
Is African Ancestry Compatible With Other DNA Test Results?
African Ancestry allows you to upload raw DNA data files from other genetic testing services.
In these cases, you can submit an Analysis Only request.
While there isn’t a specific list of accepted raw DNA data providers, they mention that they can only analyze raw mtDNA and Y-DNA data.
They cannot analyze autosomal DNA data from another genetic testing service.
Privacy Policy: Does African Ancestry Sell Your DNA?
African Ancestry does not sell your DNA.
They clearly state that they destroy 100% of your DNA after the analysis.
Your genetic data will not be used for research or commercial purposes, even with your informed consent.
They have not faced any privacy-related controversies over their 21 years in the field.
This reputation is thanks to their iron-clad approach to privacy,
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does It Mean To Have 1% African DNA Ancestry?
Since the percentage of your DNA halves with each generation, 1% African ancestry means you had an ancestor of African descent 6 or 7 generations ago.
Does Everyone Have Some African Ancestry?
Most people have less than 1% of their roots in Africa, meaning that their most closely related African ancestor lived around 200 years ago.
How Much African DNA Do African Americans Have?
A 2015 study revealed that, on average, African-American people have 73.2% African heritage, followed by European and Native American ancestry.
Summary: African Ancestry
- Their privacy policy promises that your DNA will never be used for research or commercial purposes.
- African Ancestry Inc. specializes in accurately analyzing DNA samples to determine African roots.
- Since they have the largest database of African DNA data, they can place you in an ethnicity and a present-day African region.
- The report contains details about your DNA and merchandise like t-shirts and e-books.
- African Ancestry offers 3 reports: MatriClan, PatriClan, and the Family Celebration Bundle.
- These reports analyze your mtDNA and Y-DNA, exclusive to your mother’s and father’s lines, respectively.
- African Ancestry usually accepts raw mtDNA or Y-DNA data from other companies.
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