Why South Africans Are Rushing For R650 Prime Drink?
Prime drink is a hellishly expensive sports drink which kids in South Africa and abroad are obsessing over.
It is created by an American company called Prime Hydration.
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The hype, however, comes from the fact that the range is promoted by two of YouTube’s biggest creators, Logan Paul and KSI, who have a combined following of over 47 million subscribers.
But how much does this range retail for? You might want to take a seat…
Local sweet shop Tasko Sweets sells it for R399, while it retails for R650 on Takealot.
The most reasonable place that we could find was at Clicks for R70, although it is sold out at the moment.
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On the Prime website, the 500ml drink retails for $29.99.
According to Tasko Sweets Dainfern, when it received its first batch in March, it instantly sold out.
There is a huge demand for it. Kids aren’t even throwing the bottles away, they are keeping them.
Teresa, Owner – Tasko Sweets Dainfern
Tasko Sweets specialises in imported sweet treats, stocking international favourites such Jolly Ranches, Dr Pepper, Mike and Ike and more.
Teresa says Prime has a taste similar to Powerade or Energade.
So, what is all the hype?
So what is Prime drink and why are people willing to spend so much on it?
What is Prime drink?
The hydration drink was introduced by Logan Paul and KSI, together with the supplier and distributor, Congo Brands. The business was established earlier in 2022 and is available in both the UK and the US.
Available flavours include Meta Moon, Ice Pop, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Lemon Lime, Orange and Grape, and the drink contains 10 per cent coconut water, 2g of sugar, 25 calories, 250 mg of BCAAs (which enhances muscle growth), 830 mg of electrolytes, as well as vitamins and antioxidants, according to the supplier.
Is Prime an energy drink?
There are two kinds of Prime energy drinks: Prime Hydration and Prime Energy.
The hydration version of Prime is not an energy drink as it does not contain caffeine nor does it contain sugar. Instead, it is sweetened with aspartame.
However, the Prime Energy drink obviously is, and contains 200mg of caffeine. For comparison, one mug of instant coffee contains around 100mg of caffeine, according to the NHS.
Consumers should be aware of which version they are buying, particularly if it’s for a child or teenager.
Why is Prime so expensive?
Due to the huge demand during its UK launch, it has been hard to get hold of the hydration drink, and this has pushed up prices.
On Twitter last year, KSI added that the beverage was being sold on the “black market”.
In a tweet, the YouTuber shared screenshots of bottles being sold for £15 on eBay and said: “This annoys me so much. We’re trying so hard to increase the supply as much as possible to try and combat the black-market selling.
“Me and Logan ain’t made any money from Prime. It’s all going back into the business to increase the supply. We’re trying people.”
Wakey Wines, an off-licence in Wakefield that has gone viral on TikTok, gained notoriety for allegedly selling Prime bottles for £100 each.
The shop’s owner, Mohammed Azar Nazir, posts clips of himself with his customers, boasting about how much they bought the drinks for.
Though it’s unclear whether people are genuinely buying Prime drinks for £100 a bottle, or whether it is purely a marketing stunt, stores elsewhere have been selling Prime at inflated prices.
One shop in Ayrshire has begun selling two flavours of the beverage for £12.50 – more than six times what Asda and Aldi are charging. While another shop in Surrey has vowed to stop selling the energy drink, after customers complained about the £10 cost.
One shop assistant who works at the shop told Surrey Live: “Deliveroo adds on a 42 per cent mark-up. Sales were very slow via Deliveroo, due to the high prices. Customers in the store could buy the drink for £10 last month. Some customers ask and it’s very expensive to stock, I don’t want to lose custom.
“My friend gave me one or two boxes. They cost me £8.50 per bottle, so I sold them for £10 each. So I don’t sell them any more. Other stores are still selling them. If you look on Amazon and eBay, they cost £20. I heard one shop in Hersham is selling for £14 a bottle.”
