As part of a broader strategy to boost what it’s described as an integrated healthcare ecosystem, and to slash costs and improved care access, Dis-Chem has launched an integrated Health Hub, melding clinics, pharmacies, healthcare funding and digital healthcare services all into a single customer experience, reports Business Day.
This lane change for the group from traditional pharmacy retail and an intensification of its push into primary healthcare and health insurance will help address South Africa’s “fragmented” healthcare system, where consumers often face rising costs, long waiting times and disconnected services, it said.
The new Health Hub model, unveiled at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg last week, will include virtual GP consultations, diagnostic testing facilities, digital prescription systems and dedicated healthcare advisers.
“South Africans have long had to navigate their healthcare between disconnected providers and fragmented systems. This store is our answer to that. It is not enough to just stock health products. We want to actively deliver care,” said CEO Rui Morais.
The latest annual report shows Dis-Chem operated more than 540 clinics in the 2025 financial year, staffed by 535 registered nursing practitioners and conducting more than 1.2m consultations. Telemedicine infrastructure has been rolled out across all clinics to provide access to virtual GP consultations and electronic prescriptions.
Dis-Chem recently expanded into healthcare funding products through the launch of Dis-Chem Health and the introduction of Dis-Chem Life after acquiring a 50% stake in insurance platform OneSpark in 2024.
According to the company, its medical insurance and gap cover products could potentially enable an additional 15m South Africans to access private healthcare services.
The hub model was developed alongside X, bigly labs, Dis-Chem’s innovation and analytics division, which focuses on customer behaviour, data analytics and digital healthcare solutions.
In its annual report, Dis-Chem highlights digital healthcare, automation, analytics and customer retention as strategic priorities as it seeks to deepen customer engagement and grow market share.
The group reported a 37.2% increase in e-commerce revenue during the past financial year, while total income grew 9.2% and operating profit rose 18.3%.
Morais said the Health Hub concept was developed by rethinking how healthcare and retail services could operate together.
“We did not start with the floor plan of an existing store. We started from scratch, imagining the art of the possible,” he said.
The Health Hub format is also aimed at reducing waiting times and improving service efficiency. Prescription submissions and medication collection have been separated, while digital ticketing systems and app-based script submissions will streamline pharmacy services.
Business Day article – Dis-Chem bets on integrated health hubs (Restricted access)
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