How Virgin Active supports real, sustainable wellness.
There are moments in every country’s wellness story when something new emerges and becomes a significant part of the national health conversation. For South Africa, right now, GLP-1 medications are exactly that. They’ve arrived in the group chat. They’ve arrived at Sunday lunch. They’ve arrived everywhere except, perhaps, the part of the national psyche where we talk honestly about health without shame.
So let’s go there.
At Virgin Active, we believe in clarity before hype, context before panic, and responsibility before shortcuts. Real wellness means real results, the kind that don’t disappear when the novelty does.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE GLP-1s?
GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1), is a natural hormone in the body that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. The term is also popularly used to refer to a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. These mimic the hormone and are used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by reducing appetite and improving blood sugar control.
While these medications are experiencing a trend in weight-loss culture there are risks. When used without proper exercise and nutritional support, GLP-1 medications can significantly decrease muscle and bone mass, cause nutrient deficiencies and severe dehydration; and eventual weight regain. So, it’s important to note that GLP-1s should be used in combination with both exercise and diet in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and not as a replacement.
WHAT THE RISING INTEREST IN GLP-1S TELLS US ABOUT US
Obesity affects up to 50% of the South African population according to the Human Sciences Research Council. As the second biggest killer of our population (Wits University), diabetes doesn’t just knock on the door; it sits at the kitchen table. The statistics tell one story, but the queues at pharmacies and wellness stores tell another: people want relief, improvement, energy, change.
And so, the spotlight shifts to GLP-1 receptor agonists. Originally designed to support people living with type 2 diabetes, they’ve now become one of the most talked-about tools for weight-management worldwide.
South Africa is not immune to the frenzied demand, which speaks to people wanting to feel different in their own bodies, to live longer with more ease, to turn health from a battle into a victory.
CAUTION MATTERS AND CLARITY MATTERS MORE
Here’s what we’re seeing across the country:
1. Accessibility isn’t equal
According to Spotlight, an in-depth public health interest journalism website, these medications aren’t cheap, and medical aid cover isn’t consistent. When treatment is financially fragile, the whole journey becomes fragile too.
2. Counterfeit products are a problem
SAHPRA (The South African Health Professionals Council), has already issued warnings so has the World Health Organisation, (WHO). It’s no secret that falsified semaglutide is circulating globally. Which is why “Where did you get it?” has quietly become one of the most important health questions of our time.
3. Medication is only as powerful as the environment around it – that’s what makes it work.
The science is beautifully boring and terribly consistent: results improve dramatically when medication is combined with exercise, nutrition and behavioural change. We have heard it so many times. So while GLP-1’s taken responsibly offer a push in the right direction, there is no medication on earth that can outrun a sedentary lifestyle forever. A prescription doesn’t build a habit or change a lifestyle. This part requires us.
FIND US IN THE CENTER
We’ve always promised that Virgin Active is Where wellness gets real, and this is exactly what that means in practice:
1. We don’t judge your journey
If your doctor recommends a GLP-1 medication, or if you’re curious about it, we meet you with honesty, not stigma. Using medication doesn’t make you weak; we’re here to support you through it, and build stronger habits toward sustainable change.
2. We help build the structure around the medication
You know the ordinary, unglamorous scaffolding that makes extraordinary results possible.
That’s our lane. And we’re here to help you through it with exercise, nutrition, habit changes and recovery.
3. We help you measure the right things
The numbers that matter go way beyond those found on the scale. Strength, mobility, energy, mood, confidence, consistency, how you feeling? We measure the things that don’t show up on labels but do show up in your life.
4. We stand against misinformation and unsafe access
If someone is selling “miracle weight-loss pens” on Instagram, or offering half-price injections in a WhatsApp group, the answer is simple: walk away.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU TODAY, RIGHT NOW?
If you’re taking a GLP-1, thinking about one, or simply trying to understand all the noise, consider a few starting points:
-Speak to a qualified medical professional, not a cousin, not a comment section.
- Ask about the whole plan, not just the prescription. How will you move? Eat? Recover? Build strength?
- Ask how progress will be measured beyond the scale.
- Check every source. If it’s not regulated, it’s not safe.
- And know that you don’t have to do this alone. Virgin Active has coaches, nutrition teams, and movement experts who can help you build a long-term plan around whatever journey you’re on.
LOOKING AHEAD
As interest in GLP-1 medications grows, our responsibility grows too. We will continue creating club-based programmes, education, community support and coaching that help members build the kind of strength that doesn’t evaporate when something stops working.
By acknowledging the science, considering the regulators and listening to our members, we’ll build a wellness ecosystem that feels human instead of transactional.
Because at the end of the day, while it’s weight you’re trying to lose, it’s strength, clarity, energy, a sense of belonging you’re trying to gain. And that’s just as important.
If you have questions about movement, medication, nutrition or how to build a wellness plan that lasts, come talk to us.
Virgin Active
Where wellness gets real