Sales of counterfeit and illicit medicines are thriving in South Africa, with SAHPRA having recorded 507 suspected cases in 2024/25, of which 110 were confirmed, and with R3m being spent on destroying these dangerous products, reports The Star.
The alarming statistics were revealed by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, after EFF MP Thandiswa Marawu had asked him about the mushrooming sale of these drugs.
In a written parliamentary reply, Motsoaledi said that most commonly targeted by counterfeiters were pain management drugs, weight loss products, skin lightening or bleaching treatments, condoms and medications for impotence or sexual enhancement.
He said they posed significant risks to public health, not only by being ineffective but also being potentially harmful to users.
SAHPRA, in collaboration with the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies, was involved in 81 joint operations involving these products, he added.
The Minister warned that beauty shops and general retail outlets are not permitted to sell these types of medicines, and any sale outside these settings should be viewed with suspicion. The advertising of prescription medicines on social media or other public platforms was prohibited, and he urged the public to report such instances to SAHPRA through its whistleblower portal.
He added that “unrealistic claims and pricing” should be a red flag for buyers, with products touting themselves as “miracle cure,” “detox,” or “anti-ageing,” or those offered at “unusually low prices”, often signalling counterfeit goods.
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