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Healthcare · Pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution

United Pharmaceutical Distributors

Clicks Group pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor serving Clicks, hospital groups, independent pharmacies and manufacturers.

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Entrance to a Clicks store in Constantia Village, Cape Town
A current Clicks store represents the retail business that Jack Goldin founded in 1968. Photo: Husskeyy / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped and resized

United Pharmaceutical Distributors, known as UPD, is the group’s pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor. [1][2]

History

UPD joined Clicks Group in 2003. [1]

It commissioned an automated Gauteng pharmaceutical warehouse in 2007 and later expanded capacity. [1]

Role in the group

UPD supplies Clicks, hospital groups and independent pharmacies. [1]

The 2025 statements describe UPD as the distribution capability behind the group’s healthcare strategy. [2]

Frequently asked questions

What does UPD do?

It wholesales and distributes pharmaceutical products. [1][2]

Does UPD operate Clicks stores?

No. Clicks is the consumer-facing retail business. [2]

When did UPD join the group?

It became part of Clicks Group in 2003. [1]

Key milestones

  1. UPD became part of Clicks Group. [1]

  2. The automated Gauteng warehouse entered service. [1]

  3. Reported turnover grew 9.2% in the financial year. [3]

Company builders

  • Bertina Engelbrecht — South African lawyer and executive who became Clicks Group chief executive in January 2022.

Related articles

Related institutions

  • Clicks Group Limited — JSE-listed South African health, beauty and pharmacy group whose operations include Clicks retail and pharmaceutical wholesaler UPD.
  • Clicks — South African health, beauty and pharmacy retailer founded by Jack Goldin in Cape Town in 1968.

Sources

  1. Clicks Group Limited, History: Fifty years of firsts. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-05. ↩
  2. Clicks Group Limited, Annual financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025, 2025-11-06. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-05. ↩
  3. Clicks Group Limited, Clicks Group turnover exceeds R50 billion for the first time as retail footprint expands, 2026-10-22. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-05. ↩