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 and North America. Vitality Health International leverages Discovery Health and Vitality intellectual property through strategic investments in international health technology, analytics and health solutions businesses.

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. Global Health Solutions (GHS) is Discovery Health's integrated, pan-African healthcare solution - combining global capability with local relevance for multinational and regional employers. Discovery Health Global is a next-generation, pan-African healthcare solution that brings together comprehensive health insurance, the Vitality wellness programme, and a new Administration Services Only (ASO) offering.

Discovery Life and Corporate and Employee Benefits (CEB) provide risk protection and retirement solutions to individual and business clients through comprehensive life, capital disability, income and education protection, severe illness, funeral, home loan protection cover and umbrella retirement funds. Discovery Life also offers estate planning to support the winding up of estates through Discovery Wills and Trust Services. The Individual Life business holds a leading position in the intermediated retail affluent South African protection market.

Discovery Insure offers innovative and comprehensive car and home 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 Markets

Vitality Global Markets 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 Discovery Health and Vitality intellectual property through strategic investments in international health technology, analytics and health solutions businesses. VHI's key interests include Amplify Health, a 25%-owned health technology joint venture with AIA serving Asia-Pacific markets and Vitality USA, a wholly owned business providing health engagement and care solutions to health plans and employers in the United States.

Ping An Health Insurance is Discovery's 24.99%-owned Chinese health insurance associate, established through a joint venture with Ping An Group in 2010. It combines Ping An's scale and distribution with Discovery's health insurance and Vitality expertise.

Our history