Illegal weight-loss jabs are being sold at gyms and hair salons, experts warn

• The Pharmaceutical Task Group raised the alarm at a counterfeit medicine roundtable held in Pretoria on 14 October 2026
• Unapproved experimental substances, including retatrutide, are being sold through social media, gyms, and beauty salons across South Africa
• SAHPRA has opened criminal dockets and referred healthcare practitioners to professional councils following raids on illegal facilities

PRETORIA — Pharmaceutical manufacturers, regulators, and law enforcement officials have sounded the alarm over the growing trade of illegal and unapproved weight-loss substances in South Africa, with informal sellers ranging from social media influencers to hairdressers identified as key distribution points.

The warning emerged from a counterfeit medicine roundtable convened in Pretoria on 14 October 2026, where the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG) called on the South African Police Service and prosecutors to act swiftly on evidence already submitted against illegal drug sellers.

Experimental drug being sold before approval

According to media reports, among the most concerning products flagged at the roundtable was retatrutide, an obesity treatment that remains in clinical trials and has not received regulatory approval from any medicines authority worldwide. Unverified versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide, commonly referred to as "fat jabs," are also being marketed and sold outside of licensed pharmacies.

Industry estimates suggest approximately 230,000 people are currently using GLP-1 medications in South Africa. The high cost and limited supply of approved branded treatments have driven a rapid expansion of shadow compounding networks and smuggling operations. The Border Management Authority reported that illicit medicines are frequently smuggled into the country under false declarations, often labelled as cosmetics or personal care products to evade border inspections.

Regulators respond with raids and criminal dockets*

According to the report, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) confirmed it has seized illegal products, opened criminal dockets, and referred implicated healthcare practitioners to their respective statutory professional councils. One operation targeted an illegal compounding facility in the Silverton area of Pretoria.

The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) is also revising its standards to prevent pharmacies from mass-producing compounded weight-loss formulations ahead of individual patient prescriptions. The updated rules are expected to be reviewed in February 2027 and published in March 2027.

South African health law prohibits the sale of prescription medicines online and bans the advertising of prescription substances on social media platforms.

How to stay safe

Authorities urged consumers to obtain prescription weight-loss medications only through a licensed healthcare professional and a registered pharmacy. Discounted prices, unsolicited social media promotions, and sales outside of pharmacies should all be treated as warning signs.

Suspected illegal medicine sales can be reported to SAHPRA's 24-hour hotline at 0800 204 307 or through its official whistleblower portal.

More on substances and crime in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on former Samoa captain Chris Vui working as a truck driver after serving a four-year substances ban.
• A 13-year-old Grade Seven pupil in Durban allegedly revealed her involvement in drug dealing during a meeting with a RUSA officer.
• Police arrested four people after a raid on an alleged Mandrax lab near Hartbeespoort, where a rifle and three handguns were seized.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:

Hot: