Health, fitness and the supplement aisle. An independent South African desk.
Buying guide · Answer
Convert every price into the cost of a useful dose: rand per 30 g of protein, per 5 g of creatine or per 10 g of collagen. Compare at the same date and retailer type, and use a price band when sellers differ by more than 10%. In South Africa in October 2026, mainstream creatine monohydrate runs from R2.22 to R5.55 per 5 g.
Tubs differ in size, serving, protein density and dose. A R189 tub can cost more per useful gram than a R700 tub. The fair comparison is cost per effective dose.
| Supplement | Compare on | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whey / protein | Rand per 30 g protein | Protein density varies from about 62% to 87% of powder |
| Creatine | Rand per 5 g | The standard daily dose |
| Collagen | Rand per 10 g | A common research and label dose |
| Magnesium | Rand per 100 mg elemental | Elemental content varies widely between forms |
| Omega-3 | Rand per g of EPA + DHA | Fish oil strength varies |
| Beta-alanine | Rand per 3.2 g | A common trial dose |
Creatine, per 5 g: Pure Natural Options 500 g R2.22 (Knysna Health); ATP Fitness 600 g R4.17 (ATP shop); USN Pure 300 g R4.98; Myprotein 500 g R5.55 (Dis-Chem Living Fit); Empyre For Men Prime Creapure 300 g about R14-R16 (R850-R949).
Collagen, per 10 g (powder-weight proxy): ATP Fitness 910 g R10.44 (ATP shop); MetaBody 300 g R11.20 (on sale; R14 at its regular price); Mojome 500 g R17.68. Capsules cost far more: Dis-Chem Gold hydrolysed collagen (90 x 400 mg, R250) works out at about R69 per 10 g, and its label dose is only about 1.2 g a day.
Protein, per 30 g: NPL Platinum Whey Plus R23.52; USN BlueLab about R28; Myprotein Impact about R51.
Magnesium, per 100 mg elemental: The Real Thing Tri-Mag about R2.64; Dis-Chem Gold chelate about R3.37.
ATP's collagen is the lowest on the cost-per-10 g measure among single-ingredient powders (R10.44 at 910 g), with MetaBody (R11.20 on sale) and The Harvest Table 800 g (R11.36) close behind. ATP's trade-offs: the larger tub needs a bigger up-front spend, and third-party certification is not published. For creatine, Pure Natural Options is cheaper per dose than ATP.
Bulk is not always cheaper. USN BlueLab 2 kg at R1 399 costs more per 100 g (R69.95) than the 1 kg tub at R689 (R68.90) at the USN shop. Always divide.
Where the label does not state the dose, the cost is only a proxy: several collagen tubs do not state grams per serving. Products with undisclosed doses cannot be ranked fairly.
Use this method with our guides to cheapest creatine per serving, cheapest collagen per 10 g, whey per 30 g protein and how we compare supplements.
| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per 5 g | R per 10 g | R per serving | R per 30 g protein | R per 100 g powder | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Natural Options Creatine Monohydrate 100% 500 g | 500 g | R222 (Knysna Health (listing via PriceCheck), 2026-10) | — | R2.22 | — | — | — | — | not stated |
| ATP Fitness Micronised Creatine Monohydrate | 600 g | R500 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10) | — | R4.17 | — | — | — | — | None |
| ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen | 910 g | R950 (ATP Fitness shop, 2026-10) | 91 | — | R10.44 | — | — | — | None |
| MetaBody Pure Hydrolyzed Collagen 300 g | 300 g | R336-R420 (sale vs regular) (Partners Hair, 2026-10) | — | — | R11.20 | — | — | — | not stated |
| The Real Thing Tri-Mag 90 capsules | 90 capsules | R285 (Faithful to Nature, 2026-10) | 45 | — | — | R6.33 | — | — | not stated |
| NPL Platinum Whey Plus (1 kg) | 1 kg | R490 (NPL shop (npl.za.com), 2026-10) | 25 | — | — | — | R23.52 | R49.00 | sucralose |
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.