X, bigly labs

A business is only as strong as the pillars it’s built on. Last year, I shared the eight strategic pillars guiding Dis-Chem’s journey toward an integrated health and retail ecosystem. Property, Total Income, Cost Control, Wholesale Market Share Expansion, Working Capital Management, Integrated Health Ecosystem, Digital and e-Commerce, all anchored by Analytics, give us a disciplined way to balance growth with accountability and care. A year later, these pillars have shaped where we are today. You see them in the continued evolution of Better Rewards, the impact of Dis-Chem Life, the growth of X, bigly labs, the way we expand our Dis-Chem footprint responsibly, and the digital innovations bringing healthcare closer to customers every day. In 2026, I look forward to continuing to use these pillars as a connected system to test decisions, guide investment, and keep our green-hearted people focused on what matters most: sustainable growth and better #healthcare outcomes for South Africans 💚

How we lead matters just as much as what we build. We work in complex spaces and solve real friction. That’s why leadership ethics aren’t theoretical here. They show up in how we take ownership, build trust, and make decisions that stand the test of time. These are the must-read books our leadership team turns to for insight and perspective on leadership ethics as we build breakthroughs toward better health. What are you reading right now, and what’s it teaching you?

What I am saying no to in 2026. I’m saying no to effort that does not move the mission. This year is about deliberate progress on what we have already built. X, bigly labs is set up to be something significant. #BetterRewards is live. Dis-Chem Life is in market. The work now is to scale what works, sharpen what needs fixing, and measure what matters. I am saying no to unnecessary meetings. Time is a finite resource. If it does not move us toward affordable and accessible healthcare, we will decline it respectfully. Clarity gives you permission to protect the calendar. I am saying no to ideas and opportunities that are not evaluated against our holistic roadmap. Does it increase access to #affordablehealthcare. Does it strengthen our integrated model. If the answer is not clear, the answer is not now. I am saying no to pursuit without a decision framework. We will choose with intent, knowing that every yes redirects people, budget and focus. The goal is simple. Fewer bets. Bigger outcomes. Better #health for more people.

Do you have a word for the year?

Breakthroughs in healthcare don’t happen by chance. They’re shaped by how teams work together. At X, bigly labs, that way of working is guided by our pillars. They act as culture drivers, shaping how we collaborate, how we build for Dis-Chem and its customers, and keeping us anchored to what matters most: improving access, experience, and trust in healthcare at scale. Swipe through to see the principles behind our work and how they’re helping us build better health.

Our relationship to the spaces we work in has changed. Once, offices were largely functional. A desk, a chair, a printer and depending how far back you go, maybe a fax machine. Some art and perhaps a framed photo or two per desk. An accounting firm felt different from an advertising agency that felt different from the HQ of a bank. But beyond those industry differences with some brand flavour, there were many things we have to consider today that didn’t have to cross the minds of architectural teams. When work can happen anywhere, a physical space has to earn its place. It has to support how people think, collaborate, build, and sustain energy. It has to offer something that makes the commute worthwhile, something that home cannot quite replicate. Something that work from an exotic location can’t offer. At X, bigly labs, we place the customer at the centre of everything we build. We brought that same intentionality to the space where we spend so many hours building for them. This office was designed (in partnership with the amazing team at LYT Architecture) around how our teams actually work. Different modes of focus. Moments of collaboration. The need for movement, flow, and community. A space that supports the mission, not just one that houses the people who are delivering it.

The trend of sector lines blurring has been gaining momentum for many years. And, while conglomerates have formed for good reason, we find that excellence is still a differentiator. This partnership shows how a world-class health authority and a world-class bank create value together. Here's how it came to life. Rui Morais, Dis-Chem Group CEO Aliyah Allie, Executive Head at X, bigly labs Thabiso Mashoko Msimanga, Head of Customer Growth & Engagement at X, bigly labs Kelly Goldsworthy, Head of Live Better Rewards at Capitec Henk Lourens, Group Executive for Strategic Initiatives at Capitec

Recovering to health shouldn’t feel like managing an entire system. And yet, accessing care in both the public and private systems often does, albeit to different degrees. Private healthcare, in particular, can feel fragmented, opaque, and effortful. You’re coordinating appointments, navigating benefits, repeating your story, tracking paperwork, and trying to make good decisions without clear guidance. It’s rarely one big problem. It’s the accumulation of small frictions that slow you down and quietly drain momentum. So we want to ask you the question below, and if we’ve missed it, tell us in the comments. Because better health should feel easier to move to.