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Background: Few data exist documenting the survival experience of immigrated sub-Saharan patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on renal replacement therapy (RRT)., Methods: This retrospective single centre pilot study includes 105 consecutive patients of sub-Saharan origin who started RRT in our unit, between January 1986 and April 2010. The aim was to analyse the characteristics and the survival rate on RRT of these patients., Results: Out of 105 patients 81/105 (77%) were HIV-negative and 24/105(23%) were HIV-positive. HIV-positive patients were younger than HIV-negative patients and they were more often treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) (21/24) than with haemodialysis (HD). Dialysis peritonitis was equally distributed between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Because of opportunistic infections, duration of hospitalisation was longer for HIV-positive than for HIV-negative patients. In PD-treated patients, the number of hospitalisations tended to be greater in patients who experienced at least one peritonitis episode and the duration of hospitalisation also tended to be longer. The survival rate was better in patients younger than 50 years and in patients on HD, but was similar for both positive and negative HIV patients., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, these are the first data concerning patients who have emigrated from sub-Saharan Africa to Belgium, and who are on RTT. Their survival rate is better if they are younger than 50 years and on HD. As the majority of HIV patients were treated by PD in our center, a conclusion regarding survival on different dialysis modalities is not possible for this group of patients. Survival rates were similar for HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients despite longer duration of hospisalization for HIV-positive patients.