Ivan Saltzman to step down from Dis-Chem role in 2026

Ivan Saltzman, the founder of Dis-Chem, will step down as an executive director in June 2026, the company said, marking another transition at one of South Africa’s largest pharmacy and healthcare retailers.

Saltzman, 75, co-founded Dis-Chem with his wife, Lynette, in 1978 and has been central to its rise from a family-run business to a national chain. He already relinquished the chief executive role in July 2023, when then-chief financial officer Rui Morais took over as CEO.

The company said Saltzman will remain on the board as a non-executive director and continue as deputy chairman after he leaves the executive director post. Dis-Chem credited him with helping shape the group’s expansion strategy, regional footprint and the governance required for its public listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2016.

Chairman Larry Nestadt said Saltzman played a defining role in transforming the local retail pharmacy landscape and that the board welcomed his continued involvement at a strategic level.

Saltzman said he considered it the right time to step back from day-to-day responsibilities, citing the strength of the current leadership structure and saying he would focus on supporting the group’s longer-term direction.

Morais said Saltzman’s influence would remain embedded in the company’s culture and leadership, and that his presence would continue to guide the next phase of growth.

The leadership change comes amid a broader reshuffling of the Saltzman family’s formal positions and shareholding in Dis-Chem over the past year. In October 2025, the company announced that Saul Saltzman, son of Ivan and Lynette, had submitted his resignation as an executive director. That change is due to take effect in February 2026, with Saul staying on the board as a non-independent non-executive director.

Lynette Saltzman stepped down as an executive director in 2022 and moved into a more operational role focused on the group’s beauty category, Dis-Chem said.

In a separate move, brothers Dan and Mark Saltzman inherited about R6.8 billion in Dis-Chem shares in June 2025 as part of a restructuring by the founders. Following the distribution, the family investment vehicle Ivlyn’s stake fell to about 4% from more than 29%, while Dan and Mark each ended up with around 12% after having held no shares previously. The company said the shares remain within the family, preserving the broader ownership structure.

For Dis-Chem, the message is continuity with a new balance of roles — a founder stepping back, a new generation consolidating ownership, and a listed retailer positioning itself for the next decade of competition in South Africa’s evolving health and wellness market.