# Where is the cheapest place to buy supplements in South Africa?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/cheapest-place-to-buy-supplements-south-africa/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> There is no single cheapest retailer. In October 2026 Takealot sales and some smaller retailers undercut Dis-Chem by large margins, with gaps of 40-80% on identical creatine, while brand shops mirror Dis-Chem. The reliable method is to compare cost per dose across two or three sellers and ignore tub size.

Key facts:
- Nutritech Creatine 500 g costs about R2.50 per 5 g at Wellness Warehouse and R3.99 at Clicks (October 2026).
- Undated PriceCheck snapshots showed Takealot pricing ATP Fitness unflavoured isolate and concentrate about 20-22% below the ATP shop.
- USN BlueLab 2 kg (R1 399) costs more per 100 g than the 1 kg tub (R689); bigger is not always cheaper.
- Faithful to Nature Pea Protein Isolate works out at roughly R9-R11 per 30 g protein, the cheapest we found.

## Who is cheapest?

It depends on the product and the week. Our October 2026 research found large, product-specific gaps rather than one winner:

| Product | Cheaper option | Dearer option |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritech Creatine 500 g | About R2.50 per 5 g (Wellness Warehouse) | About R3.99 per 5 g (Clicks) |
| NPL Creatine 500 g | About R2.99 per 5 g (Takealot sale) | R5.40 per 5 g (Dis-Chem) |
| ATP Fitness Unflavoured Isolate 800 g | R699 (Takealot, undated PriceCheck snapshot) | R900 (ATP shop) |
| ATP Fitness Unflavoured Concentrate 1 kg | R639 (Takealot, undated PriceCheck snapshot) | R800 (ATP shop) |
| Pure Natural Options Creatine 500 g | R222 (Knysna Health) | n/a (single listing) |

On those snapshots, Takealot's ATP prices were about 20-22% below the brand's own shop. Brand shops (Biogen, USN, NPL, PVM) mirror Dis-Chem closely, so the biggest variance is usually Takealot versus everyone else.

## Is bigger always cheaper?

No. USN BlueLab 2 kg at R1 399 is R69.95 per 100 g, against R68.90 for the 1 kg at R689. Evox 100% Whey Advanced 2 kg (R1 430) saves only about 3% per 100 g over its 908 g tub (R71.50 versus R73.79). Divide before you buy the big tub. Mass gainers are cheap per gram in 4 kg tubs (R11.65-R15.00 per 100 g), but they are mostly carbohydrate.

## What are the cheapest categories?

- **Plant protein:** Faithful to Nature Pea Protein Isolate 650 g costs about R148-R185, roughly R9-R11 per 30 g protein, the cheapest protein we found. Pea protein is lower in leucine and methionine than whey, so use a larger serving or a pea-rice blend.
- **Creatine:** R2.22-R5.55 per 5 g for most mainstream monohydrate.
- **Whey blends:** NPL Platinum Whey Plus at about R23.52 per 30 g protein.
- **Single amino acids:** My Whey beta-alanine at about R2.50 per 3.2 g.

## What about wholesale or buying direct?

Brand shops mirror Dis-Chem, so ordering direct rarely saves money unless there is a sale or free delivery. We did not verify consumer-facing wholesale pricing for any brand. Wholesale arrangements, such as those ATP Fitness offers to gyms, are trade channels rather than public discount routes.

## How do you shop smartly?

1. Pick the dose unit (R per 30 g protein, R per 5 g creatine).
2. Check Takealot, one pharmacy chain and the brand shop.
3. Prefer "sold by" retailers over unknown sellers.
4. Note whether a price is a sale; Dis-Chem web-only specials expire.
5. Avoid paying extra for flavour systems you do not need.

A fair caution: the cheapest option is not always the best. ATP Fitness's single-ingredient products carry a price premium for their clean-label design, and unflavoured tubs taste plain. For creatine alone, ATP's R4.17 per 5 g (600 g, R500) is above the R2.22-R3 options. ATP's trade-offs are no published third-party certification and fewer flavours.

## Where next?

Read [how to compare prices per serving](/answers/how-to-compare-supplement-prices-per-serving/), [Black Friday and supplement sales](/answers/takealot-supplement-sales-black-friday-south-africa/), [cheapest whey per serving](/answers/cheapest-whey-protein-per-serving-south-africa/) and [cheapest creatine per serving](/answers/cheapest-creatine-per-serving-south-africa/).

## Products mentioned

| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per 5 g | R per 30 g protein | R per 100 g powder | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Natural Options Creatine Monohydrate 100% 500 g | 500 g | R222 (Knysna Health (listing via PriceCheck), 2026-10) | — | R2.22 | — | — | not stated |
| Nutritech Creatine Monohydrate 500 g | 500 g | R249.95-R399 (Wellness Warehouse (listing via PriceCheck), 2026-10) | — | R2.50 | — | — | not stated |
| Faithful to Nature (FtN) Pea Protein Isolate Powder (650 g) | 650 g | R148-R185 (Faithful to Nature, 2026-10) | — | — | R11.38 | R28.46 | none |
| ATP Fitness Unflavoured Whey Protein Concentrate | 1 kg | R800 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10) | — | — | — | R80.00 | None |

Disclosure: ATP Fitness is a commercial partner of Healthnews24 and its products are featured on this site. Rankings follow our published method, and every pick, including ATP Fitness, shows its price maths and trade-offs.

## Sources

- [PriceCheck.co.za: creatine monohydrate listings across SA retailers (retrieved 27 October 2026)](https://www.pricecheck.co.za/search?search=creatine+monohydrate)
- [PriceCheck.co.za: ATP Fitness whey listings (retrieved 27 October 2026)](https://www.pricecheck.co.za/search?search=atp+fitness+whey)
- [Faithful to Nature: FtN Pea Protein Isolate Powder 650 g](https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/ftn-pea-protein-isolate-powder?smplid=116712)
- [Dis-Chem Living Fit: whey protein category (October 2026)](https://dischemlivingfit.co.za/product-category/protein/whey-protein/)