Healthnews24South Africa's supplement answer desk

What health claims can supplements legally make in South Africa?

Healthnews24 editorial deskUpdated 2 min read
Answer first

In South Africa, supplement labels cannot claim to treat, cure, prevent or heal disease, and under R146 may not use medicinal claims or practitioner endorsements. Any performance or nutrition claim must be true and substantiated under the Consumer Protection Act s41 and the ARB Code. 'Clinically proven' is treated by SAHPRA as high risk, and 'SAHPRA approved' or 'SAIDS approved' is false.

  • R146 Regulation 13 bans medicinal or therapeutic claims, practitioner endorsements and words such as 'health' and 'healthy' on foodstuff labels.
  • Consumer Protection Act s41 prohibits false, misleading or deceptive claims, including implied certification the product does not hold.
  • SAHPRA treats 'clinically proven' as a high-risk claim for health supplements.
  • The EU register of authorised claims (such as 3 g/day creatine) does not apply in South Africa.

Which rules govern supplement claims?

Four overlapping regimes apply, depending on how a product is positioned:

Rule What it says about claims
R146 of 2010 (foods) Regulation 13 bans medicinal or therapeutic claims, claims of complete or balanced nutrition, practitioner endorsements, and the words "health", "healthy", "wholesome" and "nutritious". "Natural", "pure" and "fresh" are restricted. A nutrition table is compulsory when a nutrition claim is made, backed by accredited laboratory analysis
Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, s41 Bans false, misleading or deceptive representations about characteristics, ingredients, performance, benefits or approval. It includes implying a third-party certification the product does not hold
Advertising Regulatory Board Code (clause 4.1) Claims must be capable of objective substantiation; health claims are judged against credible, objective evidence
SAHPRA (Category D) Health supplements may carry only low-risk claims set out in Guideline 7.04; "clinically proven" is treated as high risk

What can a supplement legitimately say?

Factual, evidence-based wording is usually safe. Examples of the type of language that fits the rules: a product "contains 5 g of creatine monohydrate per serving", "provides 20 g of protein per serving" (with a matching nutrition table) or "supports muscle recovery as part of a balanced diet" where there is evidence at the stated dose. Our own answers use phrasing such as "supports" and "is associated with" and give the evidence level, never "treats" or "cures".

What is unlawful or misleading?

  • Disease claims: "treats arthritis", "prevents heart disease", "cures inflammation". We saw disease-style claims (inflammation, liver detox) on at least one local greens listing.
  • False approval: "SAHPRA approved", "SAIDS approved", "WADA approved" or "FDA approved" for a supplement. SAIDS says it does not endorse any product and such claims are false. We saw unverifiable "FDA Approved" and "WADA certified" wording on one collagen listing, which is not a normal description for a supplement.
  • Overstated content: protein figures that fail laboratory checks fall under s41 (amino spiking).
  • Performance promises: "builds muscle", "burns fat" or "boosts testosterone" need evidence of the product's effect at the stated dose, not generic ingredient literature (ARB).
  • Influencer posts are covered as well; sponsorship and results must be honest.

Are EU-authorised claims valid in South Africa?

The EU keeps a register of authorised claims, for example that 3 g a day of creatine increases performance in short, repeated, high-intensity exercise. That register does not apply in South Africa. Treat EU-style claims on a South African label as marketing unless the brand shows its evidence. The underlying science for creatine is strong, but that is separate from the legal wording (how much creatine per day).

What can you do about a misleading claim?

  1. Screenshot the label or advert.
  2. Complain to the retailer or brand first.
  3. Lodge a complaint with the National Consumer Commission (s41) or the Advertising Regulatory Board.
  4. Report side effects to your pharmacist or SAHPRA (how to report a side effect).

For labelling basics read R146 supplement labelling rules, and for the bigger context are supplements regulated in South Africa.

Sources

  1. ASC Food Safety Training: Food labelling regulations in South Africa, what R146 actually requires
  2. Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, section 41: false, misleading or deceptive representations
  3. Advertising Regulatory Board: Code of Advertising Practice, preface
  4. SAHPRA Guideline 7.04: Complementary Medicines, Health Supplements safety and efficacy (Mar 2022)
  5. SAIDS (South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport) FAQ: supplements, strict liability, medication check

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, “What health claims can supplements legally make in South Africa?”, updated 27 October 2026, https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/what-health-claims-are-allowed-on-supplements-south-africa/. Plain-text version: /answers/what-health-claims-are-allowed-on-supplements-south-africa.md