Dis-Chem vs Clicks vs Takealot: where should you buy supplements?

Q: Dis-Chem vs Clicks vs Takealot: where should you buy supplements?

Dis-Chem has the widest sports-nutrition range, Clicks stocks mainly mainstream local brands such as Nutritech, USN and Black Bull, and Takealot carries nearly everything, often at the lowest prices. In South Africa the same product can differ by 40-80% between retailers, so compare per dose, check who the seller is and buy on sale where possible.

How do the three retailers compare?

	Dis-Chem (and Dis-Chem Living Fit online)	Clicks	Takealot
Range	Widest: 61 whey SKUs, 30 mass gainers, at least 24 plant proteins, 7 caseins and 31 protein bars on its online sports store	Mainstream local brands such as Nutritech, USN and Black Bull	Almost every brand, including ATP Fitness, NPL, Myprotein and Biogen (selected)
Pharmacist on hand	Yes, in store	Yes, in store	No
Price pattern	Shelf prices often equal the brand shop; web-only specials	Competitive on local mainstream brands	Often the lowest, with frequent sales
Main risk	Premium on imports	Narrower range	Marketplace sellers and variable pricing

Range counts are from the Dis-Chem Living Fit store in October 2026.

How big are the price gaps?

Large. Research in October 2026 found:

Nutritech Creatine 500 g: about R2.50 per 5 g at Wellness Warehouse versus about R3.99 at Clicks (a 60% gap).
NPL Creatine 500 g: about R2.99 per 5 g on a Takealot sale versus R5.40 at Dis-Chem.
ATP Fitness Unflavoured Whey Isolate 800 g: R699 on Takealot (undated PriceCheck snapshot of Takealot) versus R900 at the ATP shop, and Unflavoured Concentrate 1 kg R639 versus R800 (roughly 20% lower on Takealot).
Brand shops such as Biogen's and USN's mirror Dis-Chem prices closely, so the real variance is usually between Takealot and the brand shop.

Price spreads above 10% are common, so the right habit is to check two or three sellers. See how to compare prices per serving.

What about authenticity and returns?

We did not compare return policies between the three retailers, so check each one's current terms. A few principles hold. A pharmacy chain buying directly from the brand carries less counterfeit risk than an unfamiliar marketplace seller. On Takealot, look at the "sold by" line to see whether Takealot or a third party is selling, and read are Takealot supplements genuine. For online purchases, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act generally gives a seven-day cooling-off right for goods, with exclusions.

Which should you choose?

Want choice and advice: Dis-Chem. A pharmacist can check interactions if you take medication.
Buying mainstream local creatine or whey: compare Clicks with Takealot; Nutritech 300 g creatine is R250 at Clicks (R4.17 per 5 g).
Chasing the lowest price: Takealot and its sales, with a check on the seller.
Buying imports or niche products: Dis-Chem and Faithful to Nature stock many.

Do store specials always help?

Not always. A 2 kg tub is not automatically cheaper per gram than a 1 kg tub, so divide before you buy. Read the cheapest place to buy supplements and, for specific products, creatine at Dis-Chem, Clicks and Takealot and whey at Dis-Chem versus Takealot.

Products mentioned

Product	Size	Price (source, date)	Servings	R per 5 g	R per 100 g powder	Sweeteners
Nutritech Creatine Monohydrate 500 g	500 g	R249.95-R399 (Wellness Warehouse (listing via PriceCheck), 2026-10)	—	R2.50	—	not stated
Nutritech Creatine Monohydrate 300 g	300 g	R250 (Clicks (listing via PriceCheck), 2026-10)	—	R4.17	—	not stated
NPL Creatine Monohydrate Powder 500 g	500 g	R299-R539.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10)	—	R5.40	—	None (unflavoured)
ATP Fitness Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate	800 g	R900 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10)	—	—	R112.50	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.