New retail rewards programme launching in South Africa – with a big boost for Capitec customers
Dis-Chem is launching a new rewards programme called Better Rewards, which will go live on 21 October 2025.
The programme will offer shoppers instant savings at tills, focusing on thousands of everyday essentials.
The group said the key differentiator with the programme is that it is a collaborative brand-powered system, where partner brands remain constant, so shoppers can plan and budget for essentials more efficiently.
This contrasts with most other loyalty programmes, which reward members retrospectively, and earn and reward methods are subject to unexpected changes.
Under the new programme, members will receive ongoing savings of 10% across more than 140 popular South African brands, covering over 10,000 products.
Discounts will apply even to promotional items, so customers won’t have to choose between sale prices and loyalty benefits.
Additional features include “Pharmacy Boost”, which is an extra 5% off the qualifying brands when members fill acute or chronic prescriptions or buy over-the-counter medication, valid for 30 days.
The group said that the Pharmacy Boost is there to directly encourage higher chronic medication adherence levels, which correlate to improved health outcomes and a reduction in the risk of serious complications.
It noted that poor adherence leads to worsened health outcomes, such as uncontrolled conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, which can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and other preventable emergencies.
Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais said the group’s integrated primary healthcare focus aligns with global priorities and the urgent need to combat non-communicable diseases—which are a healthcare crisis in South Africa.
“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,” he said.
“We believe this model can make a meaningful difference in our members’ daily lives, with a positive knock-on if they leverage the benefits of Better Rewards to proactively manage their healthcare.”
Capitec customers get bigger discounts
In a move designed to significantly boost access to integrated primary healthcare, Dis-Chem has partnered with Capitec to give its clients access to a further Better Rewards boost.
Those paying with a Capitec card receive another 5% off their basket of qualifying brands. Capitec is South Africa’s biggest bank by customers, with 25 million accounts.
This increases the instant discount from the base 10% to 15%.
Dis-Chem said that there will be additional benefits for Better Rewards members who have Dis-Chem Health medical insurance, gap cover, or a Dis-Chem Life insurance policy.
Qualifying policyholders will get a Better Rewards discount of at least 20%.
Dis-Chem Life policyholders will also have access to a free HealthCheck in a Dis-Chem Clinic every year, allocating them a Health Rating.
Managing health and improving the Health Rating will unlock even higher Better Rewards discounts – up to 100% off on qualifying brands, capped at R3,000 per month.
Dis-Chem’s more than 22,000 staff will also get enhanced rewards, with a 10% additional boost which became effective on 1 October.
Dis-Chem’s existing nine million Benefit Card loyalty members will automatically be migrated to Better Rewards, and their current points balances will remain valid for six months after the switchover.
Morais noted that the original Dis-Chem Benefit Card programme has been running for 23 years, but the group’s strategy has shifted from being a pharmacy retailer to an integrated primary healthcare provider.
“We identified the need for a loyalty programme designed to entrench the philosophy which is core to our business,” he said.
“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.”
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