From enhanced flight, sleep and fuel rewards to greater financial protection: What Discovery announced for 2027

1 October 2026 – Sandton. Discovery today announced to the financial adviser community a wide range of product enhancements across its portfolio, anchored by the continued evolution of its Superbank, which connects the Discovery ecosystem through a single, rewarding client experience.

Hylton Kallner, Discovery South Africa and Discovery Bank CEO, says, “Discovery’s shared-value model has always been about helping people become healthier and more financially secure, and sharing the value created with them. The Superbank brings the shared-value power of the Discovery Group into a single, connected client experience. Discovery Bank acts as the integrative layer across clients’ financial, health and lifestyle needs, converting the value they create into a tangible, meaningful rewards currency.”

Healthier behaviour can unlock banking benefits, safer driving can reduce insurance costs and sound financial decisions can lower investment fees. A client’s overall relationship with Discovery will also be recognised through their Portfolio status, a unified rewards tier that increases flight discounts and Discovery Miles rewards.

Discovery Health Medical Scheme’s 2027 contribution increase and benefit enhancements, as well as Discovery Vitality’s new HealthyWeight programme, were also announced today.

Further updates from the Group include new banking features and richer rewards from Discovery Bank; the next evolution of Discovery Invest’s shared-value investment platform to help families grow, preserve and transfer wealth; immediate and enhanced fuel rewards from Discovery Insure; the expansion of Discovery Life’s signature PayBack rewards across its product range; and an evolution of traditional employee benefits to help protect employees manage health lifestyle risks such as gambling.

Highlights from the launch include:

Discovery Bank

Discovery Bank’s Superbank proposition continues to deepen the integration between banking and the broader Discovery ecosystem, rewarding clients for their complete relationship with the Group.

Rewarding clients for their complete Discovery relationship

Discovery Bank clients will soon be able to earn Portfolio points based on their qualifying Discovery products and their level of engagement, progressing through five tiers. Portfolio status combines with Discovery Bank’s rewards and Vitality Money, Vitality Health and Vitality Drive rewards to unlock 100% off the qualifying base fare of local and international flights - the Group’s highest flight reward to date - and up to 45% off on Miles D-Day when spending with Discovery Miles partners, on the 15^th of every month.

More flexible payment features, product options and rewards

Discovery Bank clients will in future enjoy more ways to pay with Discovery Send Cash, a feature that lets clients pay anyone in South Africa, even without a bank account. From 1 October a separate feature, EasyPay, allows clients to pay a range of everyday bills including municipal accounts and traffic fines.

The Bank also introduced the Black Suite for Young Professionals, with tailored, premium banking benefits and rewards at a price point designed for clients early in their careers, with a full, benefit-rich feature set.

New Miles+ and network partners include Leroy Merlin, and Sleep is now the fourth ring in the Vitality Active Rewards experience, available in the Discovery Bank app.

Discovery Health

In addition to the 2027 contribution increase and new Active Core plan announced separately on behalf of Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) today, Discovery Health shared enhancements to Flexicare and the launch of its most comprehensive gap cover product next year.

Flexicare adds maternity and mental-health support

Discovery Health is enhancing Flexicare, its health insurance offering that provides affordable access to private day-to-day healthcare for approximately 140,000 members.

From 1 January 2027, Flexicare's FlexiFund will include additional support for two of the most significant healthcare needs facing working South Africans: pregnancy and mental health. Pregnant members will have access to an additional R4,000 for maternity-related care, including nurse and midwife visits, antenatal vitamins and specialist consultations, while members diagnosed with depression will receive an additional R1,500 for ongoing medication and treatment and access to an additional online therapy support tool.

"Employers increasingly want healthcare solutions that support their workforce through major life and health events," says Dr Ron Whelan, CEO of Discovery Health. "These enhancements strengthen Flexicare's ability to provide affordable private healthcare while expanding support for members during pregnancy and for those managing depression."

Discovery expands Gap Cover range

Discovery Health is also expanding its gap cover offering with the launch of Gap 500 Plus Pro, the most comprehensive product in the Discovery Gap Cover range. The product covers in-hospital and specialist shortfalls of up to 500% of scheme rates, as well as out-of-network deductibles, co-payments and sub-limit shortfalls.

Two benefits distinguish Gap 500 Plus Pro in the market: an Oncology Protector Benefit, which pays up to R250,000 following a cancer diagnosis, and a Day-to-Day Protector Benefit, which covers up to R2,000 a year in day-to-day healthcare shortfalls.

Discovery Insure

From 1 October, Discovery Insure is rolling out the first two in a series of enhancements to its Vitality Drive programme, making it simpler and more rewarding for clients to benefit from driving safely through the Discovery Bank and Discovery Miles ecosystem.

Instant rewards for driving safely

The new PerfectDrive feature rewards clients with Discovery Miles immediately after each qualifying event-free trip of more than 5 km. Clients can earn at least 20 Discovery Miles per qualifying trip, up to 100 Discovery Miles a day and 3,000 Discovery Miles a month, in addition to their existing Vitality Drive rewards.

“Our data shows that clients who complete more perfect trips have a lower accident frequency. More than 17 million perfect trips are already completed each year by drivers with Blue, Bronze and Silver Vitality Drive status. PerfectDrive recognises this progress by rewarding safe driving immediately and more frequently,” says Robert Attwell, CEO of Discovery Insure.

Enhanced fuel rewards

From 1 November, Discovery Insure clients can earn up to 65% back on qualifying fuel spend at Shell, bp, and on eligible Gautrain spend. This comprises up to 50% back through Vitality Drive based on their driving behaviour and Vitality Drive status, plus up to 15% based Vitality Money status and holding a qualifying Discovery Bank product. Separate loyalty cards are no longer required to access the benefit; to qualify for and maximise rewards, clients simply pay for fuel with a virtual Discovery Bank card.

One of the new benefits is the immediacy of the reward as clients will receive their rewards shortly after a fuel purchase, paid into their Discovery Miles account or within 24 hours into an Insure Funder Account, which can be used to pay for vehicle maintenance or fund their excess after a claim.

Discovery Vitality

As part of its ongoing commitment to helping members add healthier years to their lives, Discovery Vitality is introducing a range of benefit enhancements that combine behavioural science, technology and personalised support.

Nutrition programme now includes support for GLP-1 management

As announced separately today, the enhanced Vitality HealthyWeight programme includes doctor-led GLP-1 support for qualifying members, providing access to a clinically guided weight-management pathway.

Enhanced fitness benefits and a new collaboration with Google Health

Further enhancements announced will give members more choice in following a healthy, active lifestyle. The Vitality Active gym benefit has evolved to include Planet Fitness, giving members even more gym options. The Vitality Fitness benefit now offers 75% off workout bookings at any fitness facility on the platform, while members continue to enjoy two free workouts every month.

Discovery also plans to introduce Google Fitbit Air in South Africa in 2027 through a collaboration with Google Health, making it available first to Discovery clients. The collaboration aims to help members use their health data to take meaningful, personalised action towards healthier lives – and to maximise rewards by tracking and enabling rewards such as the Active Rewards exercise and sleep goals.

The Discovery Bank platform will support access to the device through integrated funding and rewards, with further details to be announced.

Expanded rewards ecosystem

Additional enhancements include Vitality Sleep Rewards integration in the Discovery Bank app and the continued expansion of the Ðiscovery Miles ecosystem. Vitality members with a qualifying Discovery Bank product will be able to earn Ðiscovery Miles when shopping at Leroy Merlin. Members will also have more ways to spend their Ðiscovery Miles, with Superbalist and Tiger Wheel & Tyre joining the growing network of Ðiscovery Miles spend partners.

Discovery Corporate & Employee Benefits

Discovery’s employee benefits product house plays a meaningful role in supporting the wellbeing, financial independence and resilience of employees and their families through comprehensive benefit solutions. New product enhancements are aimed at redefining employee benefits to not only protect employees against future risks, but also to help them navigate immediate challenges.

Making obesity care more accessible

Discovery Corporate & Employee Benefits recognises the significant investment and lifestyle commitment required to achieve sustainable weight loss, and has launched WeightCare: a new reward whereby all Discovery Group Risk members enrolled in Vitality’s HealthyWeight medicated pathway can now earn up to 10,000 Discovery Miles per month by achieving their Vitality Active Rewards goals. This enhancement rewards the healthy behaviours that underpin long-term weight management success, while also making innovative GLP-1 treatments more accessible and affordable for qualifying Group Risk members, reducing the effective cost of therapy by up to 50%.

Support for gambling-related risks for employees

Discovery Corporate & Employee Benefits is also introducing a benefit designed to help employees address gambling-related harm through early identification, education, confidential coaching and access to specialist support. The programme aims to give employers and employees practical tools to identify harmful gambling behaviour early and limit its effect on financial wellbeing and workplace productivity.

Kallner concluded, “Together, these enhancements reinforce Discovery’s shared-value model: by aligning the interests of clients and the business around better health, healthier behaviours and sound financial decision-making, Discovery creates value that is shared back with clients in the form of tangible rewards and lower costs.”

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