SA is battling a fast-growing black market for GLP-1 agonists, driven by soaring demand for weight-loss injections and the unaffordability of legitimate products like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Experts warn that unregistered versions sold via social media, gyms and WhatsApp groups are often smuggled, contaminated or dangerously dosed. According to endocrinologist Dr Wayne May some sellers mix untested compounds or drugs still in clinical trials, putting users at serious risk. With obesity rates rising—projected to affect nearly 47% of women by 2025—and legal GLP-1s costing up to R10,000 per month, many patients are pushed toward illicit alternatives, as medical schemes do not cover these drugs for weight loss. – Business Day (2 Dec 2025)
Regulators face major enforcement challenges: SAHPRA has only 12 inspectors, while unauthorised semaglutide shipments are smuggled from China. Though some clinicians defend prescribing compounded blends, others warn of severe side effects. Patents expiring and future cheaper oral GLP-1s may eventually curb the illegal market.