A recent investigation by Muslim Views and GroundUp has raised alarm within Cape Town’s Muslim community, after findings revealed that bottled Zamzam water sold locally does not chemically match the sacred water drawn from the Zamzam well in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Zamzam water holds deep spiritual significance for Muslims around the world, with the well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Pilgrims visiting Makkah for Hajj and Umrah traditionally drink from the well, and bringing Zamzam water home is a cherished practice in Muslim households.
The Saudi government exercises tight control over the extraction, packaging, and distribution of Zamzam water and exports are strictly prohibited for commercial resale. Pilgrims are only allowed to take a limited quantity home, typically a 5-litre bottle.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast, Muslim Views CEO Mahmood Sanglay said the team had purchased around 19 bottles labelled as Zamzam from retailers in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.
These samples were tested by a South African National Accreditation System (SANAS)-accredited laboratory, alongside five verified Zamzam samples obtained directly from returning pilgrims for comparison.
“A key finding was that all the Saudi samples were consistent with each other and showed an isotopic fingerprint unique to the Zamzam well,” said Sanglay.
“However, all the Western Cape samples deviated significantly, and we can say with a high degree of confidence that they are not authentic Zamzam.”
In contrast, samples from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal closely matched the authentic Saudi control samples.
Sanglay noted that the investigation began after observing inflated prices and questionable labelling on bottles found in retail stores as early as 2022.
Listen to the full interview with Sanglay below:
Lab expert confirms major discrepancies
Independent evaluator Harris Steinman, Director of Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing Services (FACTS), supported the investigation’s findings, stating there was a clear chemical distinction between the Cape Town samples and those from Saudi Arabia.
“It was very clear that the waters from Gauteng and KZN was very similar to the originals received from Saudi Arabia versus the Western Cape, which was very different.”
“With lab tests, we test for minerals in the water, and depending on the test that you are doing, you don’t always get a 100% accurate reading — you can get a 5% drift on either side. And there was a very close relationship between the originals and water from Gauteng and KZN, whereas the ones from the Western Cape were very far out.”
Listen to the full interview with Steinman below:
Cape Town retailer disputes findings
Khalid Helel, owner of Amiiraa — a Cape Town-based retailer whose bottled product was among those tested — refuted the allegations, insisting the Zamzam water he imports is genuine and customs-cleared.
Helal told VOC News: “We don’t export from Saudi; we import into South Africa — there is a big difference. Had we been selling fake Zamzam or tap water, we’d be moving 20 or 30 containers monthly. We’ve only brought in two containers per year over the past two years, and this year it was only one,” said Helel.
“The only intention and reason why we are providing Zamzam water to the Muslim community is because we believe that it is something that they deserve to have access to. We also do a test to confirm the tedious reading of the water to confirm the mineral compositions, and we invite our customers to test the water themselves. In fact, we’ve had people conduct tests and there have been no complaints.”
Helel also questioned the methods and accuracy of the tests used in the investigation, accusing the report of damaging public trust without sufficient proof.
Listen to the full interview with Helal below:
VOC News
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