In this guide to SARMs in South Africa, we will go over everything that you need to know about SARMs as a South African. This includes:
- Are SARMs legal in South Africa
- Best company to buy SARMs from for South Africans
- How common are SARMs
As you know, SARMs are in a grey area legally. Many athletes continue to use it despite the WADA (World Anti-Doping Association) classifying it as a banned substance. Before you indulge in SARMs, you need to know if it’s legal in your country. And if it is, where do you get them? Buying fake or adulterated SARMs leads to disaster.
With all of this being said, let’s go over the legality of SARMs in South Africa as well as the best company to buy SARMs in South Africa from.
History of Muscle Growth Enhancers and SARMs in South Africa
The South Africa Institute for Drug Free Sports or SAIDs follows the WADA code. This makes both Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids and SARMs illegal in professional sports.
Despite this, many gym-goers and young men use steroids and SARMs in their everyday life. Even various South African athletes like Carina Horn and Aphiwe Dyantyi were caught using SARMs- specifically, LGD-4033 or Ligandrol. This leads one to believe that the usage of steroids and SARMs in South Africa is rampant.
A doctor, when questioned about Aphiwe Dyantyi’s case, also mentioned that the supplement industry in South Africa is “notoriously unregulated”. For example, a study conducted in SA showed that more than half of omega-3 fatty acids contain a lot more than what’s on their label. This explains why companies get away with selling potentially unsafe products like steroids and SARMs.
Are SARMs Legal in South Africa
In short, yes they are.
South Africa’s stance on SARMs is quite obscure- even more than the rest of the world. A quick search on Google shows you nothing related to the topic at hand.
However, the Medicines and Related Substances Act (MRS Act) of South Africa provides a guideline on the types of medicine and how they are to be sold. They split drugs into 9 different classes, or as they call it- schedules. Figuring out which schedule SARMs are in and the laws regarding those schedules will explain the status of legality.
Quick Run-Down of Schedules
- Schedule 0: These are the easiest drugs to get in South Africa. They can be advertised to the public and are available in almost every store. An example would be vitamins.
- Schedule 1: Also available in most stores, these are classified differently because of their higher addictiveness.
- Schedule 2: These require a prescription. Schedule 1 and 2 are both over the counter drugs. An example would be dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant.
- Schedule 3: The drugs from Schedule 2 onwards all need prescriptions. Schedule 3 drugs need a medical diagnosis to get them and the prescriptions are repeated for only 6 months. For example, insulin.
- Schedule 4: These follow the same rules as Schedule 3 drugs.
- Schedule 5: With a higher potential for abuse or dependency, these drugs need a doctor’s guidance on a repeated basis. Unlike Schedule 4, these can be prescribed beyond 6 months. An example would be antidepressants.
- Schedule 6: Highly addictive and dangerous, these contain painkillers or narcotics. Prescriptions only last 30 days and repeat prescriptions are not issued.
- Schedule 7: Not used for medical purposes, drugs like heroin are highly dangerous and not allowed to be used.
- Schedule 8: Only 3 drugs are in S8. They are amphetamine, dexamphetamine and nabilone. To use them, one must get permission from the Director-General or certain medical practitioners.
It’s illegal for anyone else to sell or export these drugs. As for being in possession of the drug, one needs to have a prescription. By this logic, it would be illegal to be in possession of steroids, human growth hormones and SARMs. Africa, however, does not recognize SARMs as a scheduled drug. Neither is it considered a food supplement. This isn’t a loophole of any sort, but this fact means you can buy SARMs in South Africa.
Best Place to Buy SARMs in South Africa
As discussed before, South Africa has a highly unregulated supplement industry. This means your supplements can be chock full of harmful substances. While there are a variety of sites that ship to South Africa or are based in South Africa, you will want to stick to one or two reputed sites to be safe.
Of course, you may wish to find a company that delivers in South Africa. Maybe because international shipping might be expensive or it takes time.
One such example is Direct SARMs South Africa. Their site shows a 4.1 rating on TrustPilot. However, we have never used their services so we can’t comment on the quality.
But the best site to go to? Hands down, it’s Science.bio. They offer customer support, package tracking, international shipping and refunds. Not only that, but they’re reputed among almost all SARMs users. They have a variety of options and aren’t limited by just SARMs. They also include nootropics and other drugs. Their quality makes up for any qualms you might have about ordering internationally.
You can take a look at this page to see what else we recommend and why. We also included discount codes in case you decide to buy SARMs.
Conclusion
Unlike other countries whose stances on SARMs are well known, figuring out if it’s legal in South Africa requires a nuanced analysis. You must be safe while dabbling in these drugs. It’s a must to pay attention to your reaction to SARMs and do your diligent research before getting into them.
If you want to learn about the legality of SARMs of other countries, you can refer to our article that covers the topic in-depth.
