PRIME TIME

South Africans have been queuing in droves to get their hands on this hydration drink. So what’s behind the craze and why are schools banning it? 

- KESHIA AFRICA

IT’S been described as looking like detergent and tasting like cough syrup, but millions of people don’t care what the critics say.

All they want is to get their hands on the drink everyone’s talking about – and if they have to dig deep in their pockets, then so be it.

When Prime first landed in South Africa, a handful of retailers and private sellers were flogging it at prices not seen since the hard lockdown of 2020: between R480 and R700 for a 500ml bottle, followed by a burgeoning second-hand market for empty bottles at R100 each.

Reports surfaced of schoolkids charging each other R50 for a sip.

So when Checkers recently announced they’d be selling the drink for R40 a bottle, queues of people snaked around the block and customers raced each other to get to the displays.

We take a look at the craze.

SORRY, KIDS 

Schools around the world have banned children from bringing Prime to school and many SA schools have followed suit.

In some cases this is because Prime Energy contains 200mg of caffeine, more than double that of other energy drinks.

Prime Hydrate doesn’t contain caffeine, but schools have banned it because of the cult-like frenzy around it and the high content of artificial sweetener.

In the US and UK the drink regularly sells out at stores and kids are up at the crack of dawn to queue for the drink or asking pals if they can pose with their empty bottles for social media posts.