# What is the cheapest energy gel per 30 g of carbohydrate in South Africa?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/cheapest-energy-gel-per-30g-carbs-south-africa/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> Among South African gels with published carbohydrate amounts in October 2026, Biogen Elite Carb Gel is cheapest at about R30 per 30 g of carbohydrate (R44.99 for 45 g), followed by Biogen Liquid Energy Gel at about R35. SiS GO is about R61 and Maurten Gel 100 about R90. A 32Gi race drink works out near R17 per 30 g.

Key facts:
- Biogen Elite Carb Gel is the cheapest verified gel: R44.99 for 45 g of carbohydrate, about R30.00 per 30 g (Dis-Chem Living Fit, October 2026).
- Biogen Liquid Energy Gel works out at about R35.20 per 30 g (R26.99 for 23 g).
- Maurten Gel 100 costs about R90 per 30 g as a single and about R82 in a box of 12.
- 32Gi Race High Intensity drink works out near R17.28 per 30 g of carbohydrate (68 g per serving, R469.99 for about 12 servings).
- 32Gi High Intensity Gel (R25–R35) cannot be ranked because carbs per gel are not published.

## What is the cheapest energy gel per 30 g of carbohydrate in South Africa?

**Biogen Elite Carb Gel** at about **R30.00 per 30 g** of carbohydrate, among gels where the carbohydrate amount is published. Cost per 30 g is price divided by grams of carbohydrate times 30, which makes gels of different sizes comparable. Prices are from South African retailers in October 2026; carbohydrate amounts come from retailer or offshore product listings and are noted below.

## How do the prices compare?

| Rank | Product | Carbs | Price (retailer) | Per 30 g carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biogen Elite Carb Gel, 60 g | 45 g | R44.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | R30.00 |
| 2 | Biogen Liquid Energy Gel, 60 ml | 23 g | R26.99 (Biogen shop; out of stock when checked) | R35.20 |
| 3 | SiS GO Isotonic Gel, 60 ml | 22 g | R44.90 (Sportsmans Warehouse via PriceCheck) | R61.23 |
| 4 | Maurten Gel 100, 40 g, box of 12 | 25 g | about R68–R69 per gel (Takealot R825; biket R815) | about R82 |
| 5 | Maurten Gel 100, single | 25 g | R74–R75 (goneoutdoor, The Athlete's Foot via PriceCheck) | R90.00 |
| 6 | Maurten Gel 100 CAF 100 | 25 g | R80–R85 | R96–R102 |

For comparison, the 32Gi Race High Intensity drink has 68 g of carbohydrate per 75 g serving; at R469.99 for about 12 servings (Dis-Chem Living Fit) it costs roughly **R17.28 per 30 g**, a little over half the price of the cheapest gel, but it is a drink and sodium is not published.

## Which gels can't we rank?

- **32Gi High Intensity Gel (27 g):** R25–R35 at Dis-Chem, Checkers and EasyBike, but carbs per gel are not published on the pages we read.
- **GU Energy Gel (32 g):** R33–R38 at Clicks via PriceCheck; carbs not verified.
- **Nutritech Endurade (30 ml):** R14.99 at Checkers. The page prints the carbohydrate figure as "21mg" alongside 87 calories. If that is 21 g of carbohydrate, it would cost roughly R21 per 30 g, which would make it the cheapest, but we cannot confirm that and do not rank it.
- **Biogen Perform-X (36 g):** 26 g of carbohydrate, but no price shown on the listing.
- **NamedSport Total Energy Strong:** R56.99 for 40 ml with caffeine; carbs not verified.

## Is cheapest the best?

Not automatically. Cheaper gels may use maltodextrin and fructose in thick formulations that need water. Maurten's hydrogel is dearer but many athletes tolerate it well. At a rate of 60 g an hour, Biogen Elite costs about R60 an hour and Maurten about R163–R180; over a 10-hour Comrades that is a difference of well over R1 000. See [how many carbs per hour for a marathon or ultra](/answers/how-many-carbs-per-hour-for-marathon-and-ultra/).

## What else cuts cost?

- Use a carbohydrate drink for part of your hourly carbs.
- Buy boxes when you have already tested the product.
- Compare prices across Dis-Chem, Clicks, Sportsmans Warehouse and Takealot, since spreads of over 10% are common; see [where to buy energy gels and electrolytes](/answers/where-to-buy-energy-gels-and-electrolytes-south-africa/).

Read the full picture in [best energy gels in South Africa](/answers/best-energy-gels-in-south-africa/) and [32Gi vs other gels](/answers/32gi-vs-other-gels-comparison-south-africa/).

## Who should be careful?

People with diabetes need an individual plan with their clinician. Always trial gels in training to avoid gut distress. This is general information, not personal medical advice.

Under-18s should rely on normal food and water for sport. If you are pregnant, have kidney, heart or blood-pressure problems, or take regular medication, check your fuelling and sodium plan with a doctor or registered dietitian.

## Products mentioned

| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Elite Carb Energy Gel, unflavoured (60 g) | 60 g sachet | R44.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 1 | R44.99 | None listed |
| Biogen Liquid Energy Gel (60 ml, orange or strawberry) | 60 ml sachet | R26.99 (Biogen (own shop), 2026-10) | 1 | R26.99 | No artificial sweeteners listed |
| Science in Sport (SiS) GO Isotonic Energy Gel (60 ml) | 60 ml sachet | R45–R49 (Sportsmans Warehouse via PriceCheck, 2026-10) | 1 | R44.90 | None listed |
| Maurten Gel 100 (40 g sachet) | 40 g sachet | R74–R75 (goneoutdoor / The Athlete's Foot via PriceCheck, 2026-10) | 1 | R75.00 | None listed |
| Maurten Gel 100 CAF 100 (40 g sachet) | 40 g sachet | R80–R85 (biket / goneoutdoor via PriceCheck, 2026-10) | 1 | R85.00 | None listed |
| 32Gi Race High Intensity Sports Drink (900 g) | 900 g | R470 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 12 | R39.17 | None listed |

## Sources

- [Dis-Chem Living Fit: Biogen Elite Carb Energy Gel, unflavoured (60 g)](https://dischemlivingfit.co.za/shop/biogen-elite-carb-energy-gel-unflavoured-60g/)
- [Biogen: Liquid Energy Gel 60 ml](https://biogen.co.za/shop/liquid-energy-gel-60ml)
- [Dis-Chem Living Fit: 32Gi Race High Intensity Sports Drink 900 g](https://dischemlivingfit.co.za/shop/32gi-race-high-intensity-sports-drink-900g)
- [Jeukendrup 2014, A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise (Sports Med)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4008807/)