Health, fitness and the supplement aisle. An independent South African desk.
Collagen · Answer
Gelatine and collagen peptides both come from collagen, but gelatine is only partly broken down and sets into a jelly when cooled, while collagen peptides are hydrolysed further, dissolve in cold drinks and do not gel. In South Africa, use peptides for coffee and shakes and gelatine for jellies and desserts. The amino acid profile is essentially the same.
Both start as collagen from animal skin, hide or bones (or fish skin). The difference is how far the protein is broken down.
| Feature | Gelatine | Collagen peptides (hydrolysed collagen) |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Partly hydrolysed by heat and acid or alkali | Further hydrolysed by enzymes into shorter peptides |
| Behaviour in liquid | Dissolves hot, sets to a gel when cooled | Dissolves in hot or cold liquid, does not gel |
| Best used for | Jellies, panna cotta, gummies, mousse, thickening | Coffee, smoothies, porridge, shakes |
| Taste and texture | Can be cloudy or thick | Mild, usually fully dissolving |
| Amino acid profile | Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline-rich; no tryptophan | Same |
Because the amino acid profile is the same, both are incomplete proteins that lack tryptophan (is collagen a complete protein).
Surprisingly, much of the tendon research used gelatine. Shaw and colleagues (2017) gave 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatine one hour before exercise and saw a rise in a collagen-synthesis marker. Lis and Baar (2019) compared different vitamin C-enriched collagen derivatives and found a smaller trend that was not statistically significant. Skin, joint and bone trials mostly used hydrolysed peptides. In short: no robust head-to-head evidence shows peptides outperform gelatine, or the reverse. The Australian Institute of Sport classes collagen as Group B (emerging evidence).
The case for peptides is mostly practical: they are easier to drink, and small di- and tripeptides such as prolyl-hydroxyproline have been detected in blood after people ingest hydrolysed gelatine (Iwai and colleagues, 2005), which is the basis of the "signalling" hypothesis.
Yes, if you accept the texture. Gelatine blooms in cold water, then dissolves in hot water; add it to a hot drink and stir well, or make a gummy by cooling it. It will thicken a smoothie or a cold coffee. We did not capture South African gelatine prices in our October 2026 research, so compare per 10 g on the label yourself. For peptides, ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen costs R10.44 per 10 g in the 910 g tub (R950, ATP shop) and The Harvest Table Bovine Collagen 800 g costs R11.36 per 10 g (R909, Faithful to Nature). A trade-off for ATP: it is unflavoured and has no third-party certificate published.
See our best collagen in South Africa comparison for tested-price rankings. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, under-18s, anyone with kidney disease and anyone on regular medication should check with a doctor before starting.
| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per 10 g | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen | 910 g | R950 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10) | 91 | R10.44 | None |
| The Harvest Table Bovine Collagen Powder 800 g refill | 800 g | R909 (Faithful to Nature, 2026-10) | 50 | R11.36 | none |
Educational information, 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. Prices were observed in October 2026 and are not offers.