How do you report a supplement side effect in South Africa?
Get medical care first, then report the reaction to SAHPRA through its MedSafety app or its eReporting portal, both available from the SAHPRA website. Keep the product, batch number and expiry date. Tell your doctor or pharmacist too. If the product is sold as a food, also tell the retailer, the manufacturer and your municipal environmental health office.
- SAHPRA accepts public side-effect reports via the MedSafety app and the eReporting portal on its website.
- SAHPRA publishes a complementary medicines reporting form: GLF CEM PV 06A, version 3 (November 2023).
- Products sold as foods are enforced by municipal environmental health; misleading claims go to the National Consumer Commission.
- Keep the pack, batch number and expiry date; R146 requires the manufacturer or importer's SA address on the label.
What should you do first?
If you have a serious reaction (trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, seizures, confusion, severe vomiting or yellow skin), go to an emergency unit or call emergency services. Reporting comes second. For milder symptoms, stop the product and speak to a doctor or pharmacist.
Where do you report in South Africa?
SAHPRA, the regulator for medicines, accepts reports of suspected side effects from the public through two channels, both accessed from its website: the MedSafety mobile app (launched in 2021) and the eReporting portal. SAHPRA also publishes a paper form for complementary medicines, "Adverse Drug Reactions and Quality Problem Reporting Form" (GLF CEM PV 06A, version 3, November 2023), which covers vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other Category D products. Check the SAHPRA website for the current links before you submit, because addresses change.
Which regulator covers which product?
South Africa regulates supplements differently depending on how they are sold:
| How the product is sold | Who regulates it | Where to complain |
|---|---|---|
| Category D complementary medicine or health supplement (carries a "not evaluated by SAHPRA" statement) | SAHPRA | MedSafety app, eReporting, the SAHPRA form |
| Foodstuff (most protein powders, creatine, gels, sports drinks) | Department of Health food control, enforced by municipal environmental health | The retailer, the manufacturer named on the label, your municipal environmental health practitioner |
| Misleading claims or advertising | National Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act; the Advertising Regulatory Board for adverts | NCC complaint; ARB complaint |
The boundary between "food" and "health supplement" is not settled in law after the 2022 Supreme Court of Appeal ruling, so if you are unsure, a SAHPRA report is still worthwhile.
What information should you include?
- Product name, brand, size, batch number and expiry date (photograph the label)
- Dose, how often you took it and the date you started
- Your symptoms, when they began, and how they resolved after stopping
- Other medicines and supplements you take
- Any test results or diagnosis from your doctor
Keep the container; do not throw it away. R146 requires the manufacturer or importer's name and South African address on the label, so you can write to them directly.
Why does reporting matter?
Supplement side effects are under-reported, and regulators rely on case reports to spot patterns. Signals for ashwagandha liver injury, for example, built up through case series (see supplements and liver injury). Your report also helps flag contaminated batches.
Should athletes do anything else?
If you are drug-tested and suspect contamination, keep the sealed unopened pack from the same batch, tell your doctor, and contact SAIDS. See what third-party tested means.
For background on how the system works, read are supplements regulated in South Africa and what SAHPRA Category D means. This is general information, not medical advice.
Related questions
- Which supplements are linked to liver injury?
- Are supplements regulated in South Africa?
- What is SAHPRA Category D?
- Do supplements need SAHPRA registration to be sold in South Africa?
- What does third-party tested mean on a supplement label?
Sources
- SAnews: SAHPRA encourages citizens to report suspected side effects from medication
- SAHPRA GLF CEM PV 06A v3: Adverse Drug Reactions and Quality Problem Reporting Form (Nov 2023)
- Spotlight (14 Aug 2026): Inside the Box with Dr Andy Gray, are complementary medicines effectively regulated in South Africa?
- ASC Food Safety Training: Food labelling regulations in South Africa, what R146 actually requires
Educational information only, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor, pharmacist or registered dietitian before using supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, taking medication, or living with kidney, liver or heart disease.
Cite this page: Healthnews24, “How do you report a supplement side effect in South Africa?”, updated 27 October 2026, https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/how-to-report-a-supplement-side-effect-south-africa/. Plain-text version: /answers/how-to-report-a-supplement-side-effect-south-africa.md