Health, fitness and the supplement aisle. An independent South African desk.
Collagen · Answer
For the dose and the price, powder is best: in South Africa it costs about R10 to R18 per 10 g of collagen as of October 2026, against roughly R34 to R69 for capsules and about R34 for liquid. Capsules often supply only 1.2 to 1.8 g a day. Choose capsules or liquid only if convenience matters more than cost.
Trial doses of collagen are mostly 5 to 15 g a day, so the first question is how many grams you actually get. Prices are from October 2026 per 10 g of collagen.
| Format | Example | Collagen per day | R per 10 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powder | ATP Fitness 910 g, R950 (ATP shop) | 10 g per scoop | R10.44 |
| Powder | The Harvest Table Bovine 800 g, R909 (Faithful to Nature) | 10 g | R11.36 |
| Powder | Mojome Pure Collagen 500 g, R884 | 10 g | R17.68 |
| Capsules | My Wellness 90 capsules, R185 (Faithful to Nature) | 1.8 g per 3 capsules | about R34 |
| Capsules | Biogen Platinum value pack 180, R440 (Dis-Chem via PriceCheck) | 1.2 g per 3 capsules | about R61 |
| Capsules | Dis-Chem Gold 90 capsules, R250 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | 1.2 g per 3 capsules | about R69 |
| Liquid | Collagen Cafe 500 ml, R859.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | 10 g per 20 ml | about R34.40* |
| Ready-to-drink | Biogen Collagen Refreshed 300 ml, R36.99 to R41.99 | collagen grams not captured | not calculable |
*Our calculation: the page does not state servings, so we assume 25 servings of 20 ml.
Capsules in our research hold 400 mg of collagen each. To reach 10 g you would need 25 capsules a day. Label doses of 1.2 g (Dis-Chem Gold, Biogen) are about one-eighth of a 10 g scoop and below the doses used in most trials (how much collagen per day). They suit people who will not take powder, but expect a small dose for a high price.
Liquids such as Collagen Cafe deliver a trial-style 10 g in 20 ml and add vitamin C, magnesium and black-pepper extract. That is convenient for travel or the office, but it costs about three times as much per 10 g as the cheaper powders, and we could not verify its collagen source (bovine or marine) or any certification (more on Collagen Cafe).
ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen is the cheapest powder per dose we priced. Honest trade-offs: it is unflavoured, a young brand (2024), has no published third-party certificate, and the 910 g tub needs R950 upfront; the 450 g tub (R530) is R11.78 per 10 g. Biogen's Peptan range offers flavours and a named peptide at R12.81 to R14.64 per 10 g.
Marine collagen is mainly sold as tablets or capsules (New Leaf 60 tablets, R399; Sfera 120 capsules) or one powder, Sir Francis, at roughly R20.50 per 10 g. For gummies see are collagen gummies worth it.
Powder first; liquid if you value convenience and accept the premium; capsules only if you accept a small dose. Our best collagen in South Africa page ranks products by cost and label. Collagen is generally well tolerated, but pregnant or breastfeeding women, under-18s, people with kidney disease and anyone on regular medication should check with a doctor.
| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per 10 g | R per serving | 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 |
| My Wellness Collagen Peptides 90 capsules | 90 capsules | R185 (Faithful to Nature, 2026-10) | 30 | — | R6.17 | none |
| Biogen Platinum Collagen value pack 180 capsules | 180 capsules | R440 (Dis-Chem (via PriceCheck), 2026-10) | 60 | — | R7.33 | none listed |
| Dis-Chem Gold Hydrolysed Collagen 90 capsules | 90 capsules | R250 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 30 | — | R8.33 | none listed (page says sugar free) |
| Collagen Cafe liquid collagen (500 ml bottle / 14- and 28-day sachet sets) | 500 ml bottle or sachet sets | not published (Dis-Chem Living Fit news (14 Nov 2025), 2026-10) | — | — | — | zero sugar (sweetener not stated) |
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.