Dis-Chem is reshaping South Africa’s retail and healthcare landscape with the launch of Better Rewards – the country’s first brand-powered loyalty programme offering instant savings at the till.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The initiative represents a strategic investment into customer healthcare, giving shoppers immediate financial relief while driving improved access to affordable, quality primary care. With integrated benefits for Capitec clients and Dis-Chem Health members, Better Rewards marks a significant shift in how loyalty programmes can deliver measurable value and support long-term health outcomes.
Better Rewards, which launches on 21 October 2025, is an integrated rewards programme that gives back instant value to members, with opportunities to continually boost savings every month. It is South Africa’s first-ever collaborative brand-powered loyalty programme, giving customers instant savings at the till every time they shop. Unlike most loyalty programmes, which reward members retrospectively, and where methods are subject to change, Better Rewards offers significantly more value: it’s an experience that instantly rewards shopping for everyday essentials. Importantly, as the partner brand roster will remain constant, shoppers can plan and budget for essentials more efficiently.
Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais says Better Rewards unlocks real value and is designed to give customers instant discounts at tills, which can be reinvested into their healthcare.
“It’s about giving value where it counts, at the till, when families are making tough choices about what to put in their baskets,” said Morais. “We know the strain South Africans are under. Better Rewards is our way of providing immediate financial relief while also connecting shoppers to better healthcare.”
“We successfully ran the original Benefit Card programme for 23 years, but as Dis-Chem evolved from pharmacy retailer to integrated primary healthcare partner, we identified the need for a loyalty programme designed to entrench the philosophy which is core to our business. We exist to increase access to quality primary healthcare. This is the next chapter, unlocking real value and giving instant rewards where South Africans need them most – in the form of tangible financial rewards for keeping healthy, in an environment where increasing access to affordable, quality primary healthcare remains a national imperative.”
Members will receive ongoing savings of 10% across more than 140 popular South African brands, covering over 10 000 products – almost double the basket previously available on the extra Rewards programme. Discounts apply even to promotional items, so customers won’t have to choose between sale prices and loyalty benefits.
Additional features include “Pharmacy Boost”, an extra 5% off the 140 qualifying brands when members fill acute or chronic prescriptions or buy over-the-counter medication, valid for 30 days. Dis-Chem’s current chronic medication adherence rate sits at 80%, while global medication adherence is generally poor, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating a global average of 50%. Pharmacy Boost directly encourages higher adherence levels, which correlate to improved health outcomes and a reduction in the risk of serious complications, or even death. Studies show that poor adherence leads to worsened health outcomes, as uncontrolled conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and other preventable emergencies. It also lowers quality of life, as chronic symptoms worsen and make daily activities more difficult.
In a move designed to significantly boost access to integrated primary healthcare, Dis-Chem has partnered with Capitec, South Africa’s biggest retail bank, giving its 25 million clients access to Better Rewards and better health. Those paying with a Capitec card receive another 5% off their basket of qualifying brands.
“We’re excited to work with a brand that shares our commitment to delivering daily value to our clients. Through this partnership, Capitec clients enjoy an additional 5% off, giving them a 15% instant discount at the till across more than 140 leading brands simply by paying with Capitec. As Dis-Chem’s only banking partner, we’re expanding access to meaningful everyday savings and reinforcing our goal to help clients live better through smarter, more connected partnerships.” – Kelly Goldsworthy, Head of Live Better at Capitec
There is an additional benefit for Better Rewards members who have Dis-Chem Health medical insurance or gap cover or a Dis-Chem Life insurance policy. Qualifying policyholders will experience a Better Rewards discount of at least 20%. Dis-Chem Life policyholders will also have access to a free Health Check in a Dis-Chem Clinic every year, which will allocate them a Health Rating. Managing their health and improving their Health Rating will unlock even higher Better Rewards discounts – up to 100% off on qualifying brands, capped at R3 000 per month. More than 22,000 Dis-Chem staff, regarded as Priority Customers, will enjoy enhanced rewards, with a 10% additional boost which became effective on 01 October, giving them access to instant savings three weeks before the launch date. All existing nine million loyalty members will automatically be migrated to Better Rewards, and their current points balances will remain valid for six months after the switchover.
Morais says this new programme reimagines how loyalty incentivises a healthcare ecosystem, unlocking value to invest in healthcare. This is supported by a broader portfolio of healthcare and financial services which, if used optimally, compound good healthcare decisions over time based on how well individuals manage their health and chronic conditions.
Morais says Dis-Chem’s integrated primary healthcare focus aligns with these priorities. “The Better Rewards loyalty model now goes hand in hand with tangible health management, and our focus on primary healthcare addresses each of these fundamentals.”
