About us

Since inception in 1992, Discovery has been guided by a clear core purpose - to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We have been able to do this by pioneering the Shared-value Insurance model, which delivers better health and value for clients, superior actuarial dynamics for the insurer, and a healthier society. The success of the model in the markets where we operate has been testament to its importance to society.

Our Shared-value Insurance model

To make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives, we must look at what compromises their health, wealth and safety, and the context we operate in. Our Shared-value Insurance model delivers better health and value for clients, superior actuarial dynamics for the insurer, and a healthier society. Key to delivering on our model, is a deep understanding of the reasons for the shift in the nature of risk.

Improving risk through our Shared-value Insurance model

The model provides clients with access to a range of pathways and incentives to lessen their personal risk and improve their behaviour through three programmes - Vitality Health, Vitality Drive and Vitality Money.

Independent research validated our model for its positive impact on reducing healthcare costs, resulting in improved profitability - a portion of which is channelled back into funding and incentives that drive positive behaviour change, thereby creating ongoing value that is shared between our clients, the business and society. In this way, Insurance and financial risks are no longer a function of a person's circumstances when taking up the product, but rather how they manage their behaviour across health, driving and financial management.

Where we operate

Shared-value Insurance is exported and scaled through the Global Vitality Network, an alliance of some of the largest insurers across key markets, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and South America. In 2021, Vitality Health International introduced shared-value health insurance to employer groups and Travel for Treatment service to the rest of Africa.

Geographical presence

South Africa

We are a leading South African company with an influential presence in the life insurance, medical scheme administration, short-term insurance, long-term savings, and banking industries. The South African operations are made up of the following businesses:

Discovery Health is South Africa's largest medical scheme administrator and managed care provider, managing over 39% of the total membership of South African medical schemes. Non-medical scheme-related products such as gap cover, Flexicare and Healthy Company are also offered.

Discovery Insure offers innovative and comprehensive car, home, and business insurance and has been entrusted with over 285 000 cars on South African roads.

Discovery Invest offers a comprehensive and flexible range of local and offshore investment plans to both retail and corporate clients and has over R120 billion in assets under administration.

Discovery Bank is a full-service digital retail bank offering a range of products. It has attracted over 1 million accounts within three years of the launch date.

United Kingdom

Our success and learnings in South Africa allowed us to launch in the UK market with great success, with Vitality UK comprising the following businesses:

VitalityHealth specialises in Private Medical Insurance, providing unique and comprehensive health and wellbeing solutions to individuals, corporates, and small and medium businesses.

VitalityLife provides long-term life, serious illness, and income protection cover to individuals.

Vitality Global

Vitality Global is responsible for expanding Discovery's Shared-value Insurance model outside South Africa and the United Kingdom. Vitality Global has two distinct business units:

Vitality Network operates by licensing the Vitality programme and related expertise, data and technology to insurance partners across the globe.

Vitality Health International leverages both Discovery Health and Discovery Vitality's IP to create strategic partnerships, primarily through equity arrangements, with health insurance players in markets. In other countries in Africa, the business launched Vitality Health International and the two key partnerships in Vitality Health International are Ping An Health and Amplify, in which Discovery owns 25% and the balance owned by Ping An Group and AIA, respectively.

Our history