South Africa’s billionaire Saltzman family is doubling down on its healthcare retail empire, announcing a bold new phase of investment and expansion for 2026 after Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited recorded substantial revenue and earnings growth in the first half of its financial year.
In the six months ending August 31, 2025, Dis-Chem’s group revenue surged 8.7% to R21.3 billion (approximately $1.15 billion), reflecting the resilience of South Africa’s retail healthcare sector amid a challenging global economy.
Retail revenue climbed 8.3% to R18.1 billion ($979 million), driven by pharmacy and baby store expansion, while wholesale revenue grew 11.1% to R16.8 billion ($908 million).
The Saltzman family, founders and majority shareholders of Dis-Chem, said the strong performance provides a springboard for aggressive regional expansion and diversification into integrated healthcare services.
“We are accelerating our transition from being a traditional retail pharmacy to becoming an integrated primary healthcare provider.
“Our ‘store of the future’ concept will merge retail, digital, and wellness ecosystems into one seamless experience,” the group said.
Dis-Chem opened 17 new pharmacy stores during the reporting period, bringing its total to 203 retail pharmacies and 44 baby stores, with another 32 stores planned for FY2026.
The company said 20 of those are already trading, reflecting a strategic drive to capture untapped markets in South Africa and potentially beyond its borders.
Central to Dis-Chem’s transformation is the launch of its new loyalty platform, Better Rewards, which the company described as “a reimagination of how loyalty can empower participation in a healthcare ecosystem.”
“Better Rewards demonstrates how our purpose, technology, and scale combine to make quality healthcare more affordable, more accessible, and more human,” the company said.
Powered by Bigly Labs by Dis-Chem, the technology-driven program incentivizes healthy behavior by rewarding customers for filling prescriptions, adhering to chronic treatment plans, and making proactive wellness decisions.
“Supported by a broader portfolio of healthcare and financial services, Better Rewards is designed to compound good health decisions over time,” Dis-Chem explained.
This data-led approach signals a growing trend across African healthcare retail, where technology, personalisation, and prevention are emerging as key differentiators in a market once defined by price and access alone.
Dis-Chem’s basic earnings per share (EPS) rose 9.6% to 73.9 cents, while headline earnings per share climbed 9.0% to 73.8 cents, reflecting efficient cost management and consistent market growth.
The interim dividend was also raised 9% to 26.98 cents per share, a move analysts say underlines confidence in the group’s long-term outlook.
The group’s wholesale business, now servicing 1,608 independent pharmacies, representing about 85% of South Africa’s independent market, also recorded robust performance, with external revenue to independent pharmacies and Local Choice franchises increasing 11.6%.
With Africa’s healthcare retail market projected to surpass $45 billion by 2030, Dis-Chem’s expansion blueprint could redefine how pharmacies operate across the continent by merging commerce, care, and technology into a single ecosystem.
As the Saltzman family sets its sights on a pan-African footprint, Dis-Chem’s message is clear: the future of healthcare in Africa lies not just in access, but in innovation that rewards well-being.
Source: Business Insider
