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Counterfeit medicines flood South Africa,

08 May 2025


According to a recent report “South Africa's Fight Against Illicit Trade: A Strategic Review (2025) the SA pharmaceutical market, valued at approximately R62bn in 2024, is increasingly vulnerable to infiltration by counterfeit and substandard products.
In November 2024 the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) issued a public warning regarding the increasing presence of counterfeit Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) products, such as the popular weight-loss and diabetes medication Ozempic, on the local market. These counterfeit versions are often distributed online and through informal channels, posing serious health risks due to their unverified safety, efficacy, and quality.

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