CFO Senele Mbatha: Discovery Vitality remains committed to its partnership with Comair.
On 5 May, Comair announced that it will be entering into business rescue, leaving Discovery Vitality members wondering what will happen to their bookings. One of the key benefits for these members is that they offer discounted domestic and international flights on kulula.com.
Discovery Vitality CFO Senele Mbatha says he understands that through the business rescue process, Comair’s aim is to restructure into a sustainable position, with the aspiration to take the skies again later this year. To this end, Senele says Discovery Vitality remains committed to its partnership with Comair. Business rescue practitioners, Shaun Collyer and Richard Ferguson were appointed on 5 May 2020 and will provide all affected Comair stakeholders with regular updates on the process.
Discovery Vitality members will be able to rebook their flights within 12 months of their original departure date at no additional charge.
Senele adds that, while Covid-19 has disrupted gym routines and travel plans, Vitality remains passionate about partnering with its members along their health journeys: encouraging, enabling and rewarding their healthy behaviour. “As a result, while there is economic strain in the marketplace, members have responded positively to the concessions we have made (reducing Active Rewards weekly goals, pausing gym visit requirements, and extending the validity of Vitality Health Checks to ensure members continue to maximise their rewards), as well to the enhancements we have made. They continue to achieve Active Rewards goals, redeem rewards vouchers, and spend at our relevant partners to receive boosted rewards."
Discovery Vitality has enhanced some of its offerings, including recognising online workouts and doubling rewards at its partner retailers, like Woolworths, Pick 'n Pay, Clicks and DisChem.
"The Vitality enhancements include the provision of online workouts and allocating Vitality points for these workouts; doubling of HealthyFood rewards (to 50 percent) at Woolworths and Pick n Pay, doubling of HealthyCare rewards (to 50 percent) at Dischem and Clicks and doubling HealthyGear rewards at Sportmans Warehouse and TotalSport. Spend at these partners has been sustained into the lockdown period, and rewards have doubled, which is very positive for our members and partners," Senele says. "We are also seeing great takeup of our offer to give all Discovery Bank clients one Discovery Mile for every Vitality point earned for exercise over this period, with a continued increase in Discovery Bank clients."
