Staff Writer
South African pharmacy retailer Dis-Chem has reaffirmed the strategic importance of its operations in Namibia as part of its regional expansion strategy, saying its presence in the country and Botswana reflects a disciplined approach focused on regulatory compliance, operational sustainability and long-term value creation.
In its 2026 Integrated Report, the JSE-listed healthcare group said its operations in Namibia and Botswana extend its retail healthcare offering into neighbouring markets with similar consumer healthcare needs and regulatory frameworks, reinforcing its position as a regional healthcare retailer.
The company said its wholesale and distribution infrastructure remains central to supporting its geographic footprint, with strategically located distribution centres enabling efficient product distribution to retail outlets and external customers while reducing supply chain risks and improving service delivery across the healthcare value chain.
For Namibia, the report signals the company’s continued commitment to maintaining and growing its regional presence as demand for organised retail healthcare services expands across Southern Africa.
Dis-Chem said it operates in a highly competitive retail pharmacy market that includes national pharmacy chains, independent pharmacies and emerging digital healthcare platforms.
The company noted that competition continues to influence pricing, promotional activity, service innovation and store expansion decisions.
However, management said the group’s integrated wholesale capability, national scale and regulated dispensary operations provide structural advantages that strengthen its competitive position while allowing it to monitor changing market conditions and competitive risks.
The company added that, in line with its integrated governance approach, expansion decisions take into account the economic, social, regulatory and infrastructure characteristics of each market to ensure sustainable long-term growth for stakeholders.
Dis-Chem’s operations remain anchored in South Africa, where it operates 316 stores across all nine provinces, supported by six distribution centres and a healthcare services footprint that includes 280 TLC facilities.
The retailer reported that group revenue increased by 9.3% to N$42.8 billion during the financial year ended 28 February 2026, despite a challenging operating environment marked by high living costs, constrained consumer spending and continued macroeconomic uncertainty in South Africa.
Total income rose to N$13.2 billion, reflecting continued market share gains across its core retail categories and an improvement in margins.
However, earnings per share and headline earnings per share declined by 17.1% and 17.3%, respectively.
The company attributed the decline primarily to its board-approved N$330 million investment in establishing X, bigly labs, as well as other non-recurring expenses.
Dis-Chem said that excluding the ecosystem investment and one-off costs, profit before tax increased by 20.1%, with the board maintaining that the investment is strategically important.
The company cited the successful rollout of its Better Rewards programme and the launch of its new Health Hub “Store of the Future” concept as early indicators supporting the investment.
The financial year also marked a significant leadership transition for the retailer.
Co-founder Ivan Saltzman will retire from his executive role on 30 June 2026 after 48 years with the business, although he will remain on the board as a non-executive director.
Board chair Larry Nestadt said Saltzman’s leadership transformed Dis-Chem from a single pharmacy established in Mondeor in 1978 into one of South Africa’s largest listed healthcare retailers with integrated distribution capabilities, digital healthcare platforms and a growing regional footprint that now includes Namibia and Botswana.
