Dis-Chem

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited, commonly known as Dis-Chem, is the second-largest retail pharmacy chain in South Africa, operating over 300 stores across Southern Africa. The company offers a wide range of products, including third-party and private label items, both in-store and online, and operates a wholesale division. The company's head office is based in Midrand, Gauteng and is listen on the JSE under the ticker symbol as DCP.

History

Dis-Chem was founded in 1978 by pharmacists Ivan and Lynette Saltzman. The pharmacy opened its first retail pharmacy in Mondeor, a southern suburb of Johannesburg. The couple introduced the concept of a discount pharmacy, offering product categories that were previously unavailable in South African pharmacies due to restrictive legislation.
In 2014, Dis-Chem expanded internationally by opening its first store outside South Africa, in Windhoek, Namibia. In November 2016, the company listed 27.5% of its share capital on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, raising approximately billion in what was then the second-largest initial public offering in the exchange's history. Following the IPO, Dis-Chem announced plans to double its number of outlets by 2021, with one-third of its stores being less than three years old at the time.

Criticism

In July 2020, the Competition Commission of South Africa found Dis-Chem guilty of inflating prices of certain hygiene products, such as disposable face masks, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tribunal imposed an administrative penalty of million, significantly lower than the billion fine the Commission had initially sought. Dis-Chem chose not to appeal the decision, citing concerns over reputational harm.