Health, fitness and the supplement aisle. An independent South African desk.
Pre-workout · Answer
South African pre-workouts differ most in transparency, not price. As of October 2026, Biogen Premium Pre-Workout (R399.99–R429.99 for 600 g) and USN Qhush Platinum Black (R489.99–R499, doses on USN's global page) publish the most doses; NPL Blackout and Evox Alpha Surge show none on retailer pages. Imported Cellucor C4 costs about R23–R25 per serving. We compare only what labels and brand pages state.
The table uses only figures published on brand or retailer pages in October 2026. "Not published" means we could not find the figure, not that it is absent from the physical tub.
| Product | Price (retailer) | Caffeine | Other published doses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Premium 600 g | R399.99–R429.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | 150 mg | Beta-alanine 3.5 g, citrulline malate 4 g, creatine 3 g |
| USN Qhush Platinum Black 300 g | R489.99–R499 (USN shop) | 300 mg (global page; SA tub unconfirmed) | Citrulline malate 6 g, beta-alanine 4 g, creatine 3 g |
| USN XTS Hyperdrive 210 g | R214–R232.99 (USN shop) | 150 mg headline | Dynamine 32.5 mg |
| Cellucor C4 Original 195 g | R699–R752.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | 200 mg (US page) | Beta-alanine 2 g |
| ON Gold Standard 330 g | R899.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Not published | Acetyl-L-carnitine 375 mg |
| NPL Blackout 400 g | R599.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Not published | None |
| Biogen Rage Rampage 400 g | R539.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Present, mg not stated | Beta-alanine 3.2 g, arginine 2 g per ~20 g |
| Evox Alpha Surge 400 g | R316.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit) | Not published | None |
Where servings are stated, Cellucor C4 (30 servings) is R23.30–R25.10 each and Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard (30 servings) is R30. USN XTS Hyperdrive has a 5.3 g scoop, so a 210 g tub holds about 40 servings, roughly R5.40–R5.88 each. That is a derived figure and the lowest we found, but it also has the lowest dose panel. Servings are not stated for most other tubs, so a fair per-serving ranking is not possible.
Biogen (Informed Sport) and USN (Informed Choice, on XTS Hyperdrive) state third-party testing on their own pages. We did not check these against the certifiers' registers, so treat them as seller claims. SAIDS endorses no brand. NPL, Biogen Rage Rampage and Cellucor C4 use sucralose; USN Qhush Platinum Black uses acesulfame-K and sucralose on its global page.
For a ranked list, see best pre-workout in South Africa.
Under-18s and pregnant women should avoid stimulant pre-workouts. If you have high blood pressure, a heart-rhythm problem or kidney disease, or take regular medication, speak to a doctor first.
| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biogen Premium Pre-Workout 600 g | 600 g | R399.99-R429.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | — | — | not stated |
| USN Qhush Platinum Black Pre-Workout 300 g | 300 g | R489.99-R499 (USN online shop, 2026-10) | — | — | Acesulfame-K and sucralose (global page) |
| USN XTS Hyperdrive Pre-Workout 210 g | 210 g | R214-R232.99 (USN online shop, 2026-10) | — | R5.40 | not stated |
| Cellucor (C4) Cellucor C4 Original Pre-Workout 195 g | 195 g | R699-R752.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 30 | R25.10 | Sucralose and acesulfame potassium |
| NPL Blackout Pre-Workout 400 g | 400 g | R600 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | — | R30.00 | Sucralose |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout 330 g | 330 g | R900 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 30 | R30.00 | 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.