Banking & Finance · Contact details

Discovery Contact Details

Verified 12 October 2026Official source onlyIndependent directoryPublished by Silas T Nkoana, Cape TownReport a wrong number

There is no single Discovery contact number, because Discovery is a group of separate companies and each has its own call centre. The main ones are 0860 99 88 77 for medical aid and Vitality, 0800 07 96 97 for Discovery Bank, 0860 751 751 for Discovery Insure (car and home) and 0860 00 54 33 for Discovery Life. For a medical emergency, call Discovery 911 on 0860 999 911 at any hour. Medical aid members can WhatsApp 0860 756 756, and the Discovery Bank fraud line, +27 11 324 4444, runs 24/7. The directory below covers every Discovery business, and each number was read from Discovery’s contact page on 14 September 2026.

Discovery contact numbers by company

Discovery company	Telephone	Email	Hours
Discovery Health Medical Scheme	0860 99 88 77	None listed for members	Mon to Fri 07:00 to 20:00; Sat 08:00 to 13:00
Oncology Care Programme (cancer registration)	0860 99 88 77 (no separate oncology number)	DCO_Oncology@discovery.co.za	Mon to Fri 07:00 to 20:00; Sat 08:00 to 13:00
Discovery 911 (medical emergencies)	0860 999 911; +27 11 529 6900 abroad	None listed	All hours
Discovery Vitality	0860 99 88 77, 083 123 88 77; +27 11 529 6006 abroad	vitalitysales@discovery.co.za (new applications)	Agents Mon to Fri 07:00 to 18:00
Discovery Bank	0800 07 96 97; +27 11 324 5000 abroad	complaints@discovery.bank (complaints)	24/7, 365 days
Discovery Bank fraud or stolen card	+27 11 324 4444	None listed	24/7
Discovery Insure (car and home)	0860 751 751	insureinfo@discovery.co.za	Mon to Sat 08:00 to 18:00
Discovery Business Insurance	011 529 6620	insureinfo@discovery.co.za	Mon to Fri 08:00 to 17:00
Discovery Travel Insurance	0860 878 233	travel.service@discovery.co.za	Mon to Fri 08:00 to 17:00
Discovery Life (general)	0860 00 54 33	discoverylifeinfo@discovery.co.za	Mon to Thu 08:00 to 17:00; Fri 08:00 to 16:00
Discovery Life claims	0860 103 905	LifeClaims@discovery.co.za	Weekdays, see note below
Discovery Invest	0860 67 5777; +27 11 529 2888 abroad	invest_support@discovery.co.za	Mon to Thu 08:00 to 17:00; Fri 08:00 to 16:00
Discovery Retirement Funds (pension and provident funds)	0860 22 29 99	retirementfunds@discovery.co.za	Mon to Wed 08:30 to 17:00; Thu 09:00 to 17:00; Fri 08:30 to 16:00
Discovery Group Risk claims	0860 54 33 22	groupriskclaims@discovery.co.za	See Discovery’s contact page
Discovery Group Life (general)	0860 04 76 87	groupinfo@discovery.co.za	See Discovery’s contact page

Discovery Life claims run Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 08:00 to 17:00, Wednesday 09:00 to 17:00 and Friday 08:00 to 16:00. Discovery’s contact page also prints vitalitydriveinfo@discovery.co.za under Discovery Insure general queries, next to insureinfo@discovery.co.za. For medical aid authorisations, claims, the WhatsApp service and the scheme complaints process, see our Discovery medical aid contact details page.

Discovery customer care and call centre hours

Discovery does not run one customer care number for the group, so the right call centre is the one for the product you hold, and each keeps its own contact hours:

Medical aid members: 0860 99 88 77, Monday to Friday 07:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 13:00.
Discovery Bank clients: 0800 07 96 97, listed as 24/7, 365 days.
Discovery Insure: 0860 751 751, Monday to Saturday 08:00 to 18:00. That is what the contact page prints; the help panel on other Discovery pages gives Saturday as 08:00 to 13:00, so call before 13:00 on a Saturday to be safe.
Discovery Life and Discovery Invest: Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 17:00 and Friday 08:00 to 16:00, on the numbers in the table.
Travel and business insurance: Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00.

Outside those hours, the lines that stay open are Discovery 911 for medical emergencies, the Discovery Bank help line and the bank’s fraud line. A call centre agent at one Discovery company cannot help with a product from another, so check the name on your policy, card or membership certificate before you call.

Discovery Vitality contact number

The Discovery Vitality contact number is 0860 99 88 77, the same number as the medical aid. Discovery’s contact page also lists 083 123 88 77 for Vitality, and +27 11 529 6006 for calls from outside South Africa. Vitality agents are on hand Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 18:00. The only Vitality email address on the contact page is vitalitysales@discovery.co.za, which is for new applications, not for member queries.

Discovery Life contact number

Discovery Life’s general call centre number is 0860 00 54 33, with the email address discoverylifeinfo@discovery.co.za, Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 17:00 and Friday 08:00 to 16:00. Discovery Life claims have their own contact details: 0860 103 905 and LifeClaims@discovery.co.za. Complaints about a life insurance policy go in writing to life_complaints@discovery.co.za.

Discovery claims contact numbers and email addresses

Which Discovery claims number or claims email you use depends on what you are claiming for:

Life insurance claims: 0860 103 905 or LifeClaims@discovery.co.za.
Car (motor) and home insurance claims: Discovery Insure on 0860 751 751; claims go to insureclaims@discovery.co.za. Discovery’s short-term motor cover sits under Discovery Insure – see Discovery Insure Contact Details or Discovery Claims Contact Details.
Medical aid claims: 0860 99 88 77. Discovery’s contact page lists no email address for medical aid members.
Travel insurance: 0860 878 233 or travel.service@discovery.co.za.

Discovery WhatsApp number

Discovery runs WhatsApp chat for two businesses. Medical aid members use the Ask Discovery service on 0860 756 756, which answers questions and sends documents at any time. Vitality members can chat on WhatsApp from the Vitality section of the contact page for questions about points, benefits, Vitality Baby and travel bookings; the chat is available at all hours, with agents on hand Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 18:00. The contact page, as we read it, gave no WhatsApp line for Discovery Insure, Life or Invest.

Discovery emergency number

Discovery 911 is the emergency number: 0860 999 911, or +27 11 529 6900 for international emergencies such as an evacuation. Calls are handled by qualified emergency personnel who assess each case and send the most appropriate air or road transport. Medical aid members should quote their membership number. Discovery 911 is available at all hours.

Discovery oncology contact number

Discovery does not publish a separate oncology contact number. Phone queries about cancer cover go to the Discovery Health Medical Scheme call centre on 0860 99 88 77, Monday to Friday 07:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 13:00. The only oncology-specific route is the email address DCO_Oncology@discovery.co.za.

A member diagnosed with cancer must register on the Oncology Care Programme: you or your treating doctor send a copy of the laboratory results confirming the diagnosis to DCO_Oncology@discovery.co.za. Your cancer specialist must also send Discovery the treatment plan for approval before treatment starts, because Discovery only funds treatment from the Oncology Benefit if the plan is approved. Doctors’ rooms have their own line, 0860 44 55 66 or healthpartnerinfo@discovery.co.za, Monday to Friday 07:00 to 18:00. The complaints form on Discovery’s contact page has a “Chronics, HIV, Oncology” category for members.

Discovery Bank contact number

The Discovery banking contact number is 0800 07 96 97, listed as open 24/7, 365 days, or +27 11 324 5000 from abroad. For banking emergencies, the Discovery Bank fraud and stolen card line is +27 11 324 4444, also 24/7. Discovery Bank’s postal address is PO Box 786722, Sandton, 2196.

Does Discovery Bank have branches?

No. Discovery Bank is a digital bank with no branch network. Discovery says so itself: it is a branchless bank, and you manage your account through the Discovery Bank App, the website at online.discovery.bank, or the contact centre on 0800 07 96 97 (24/7). You can deposit cash at the tills at Boxer, Checkers, Pick n Pay and Shoprite, withdraw at Checkers, Pick n Pay, Shoprite and selected Spar stores, or withdraw at any Visa-supported ATM. The group head office at 1 Discovery Place, Sandton, is a corporate office, not a walk-in bank branch.

What is the Discovery Bank branch code?

Discovery Bank publishes one branch code for paying into a Discovery Bank account from another bank: Branch code 679000. Discovery’s page does not use the word “universal”; it lists this single code. When you add your Discovery Bank account as a beneficiary at another bank, enter the beneficiary name, branch code 679000 and your own 11-digit account number, which is on the front of your card and in the Accounts list on the Discovery Bank app. Select Current or Cheque as the account type for credit cards or transaction accounts. The code is for payments only, since there is no walk-in branch. More routes are on our Discovery Bank contact details page.

Discovery pension fund and employee benefits contact numbers

Discovery’s contact page has no section called “pension fund”. Employer pension and provident funds sit under Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits as Discovery Retirement Funds: call 0860 22 29 99 or email retirementfunds@discovery.co.za for fund questions and for the submission and progress of a claim, Monday to Wednesday 08:30 to 17:00, Thursday 09:00 to 17:00 and Friday 08:30 to 16:00. See our Discovery Retirement Fund contact details page for more.

The same part of the contact page lists Group Risk claims on 0860 54 33 22 or groupriskclaims@discovery.co.za, and Group Life general queries on 0860 04 76 87 or groupinfo@discovery.co.za.

Discovery complaints email addresses

Each Discovery company handles its own complaints, so send yours to the right one:

Discovery Bank: call 0800 07 96 97 or email complaints@discovery.bank. The bank acknowledges complaints by email within 24 hours, has them investigated by an independent team with senior executive review, and gives the outcome in writing.
Discovery Insure: insurecomplaints@discovery.co.za; claims go to insureclaims@discovery.co.za.
Discovery Life: in writing to life_complaints@discovery.co.za, with your policy number and supporting documents. Discovery Life aims to resolve complaints within 21 working days.
Discovery Invest: invest_complaints@discovery.co.za, also with a 21 working day resolution aim.
Discovery Retirement Funds: retirementfundscomplaints@discovery.co.za. Include your participating employer name and number.

Reporting fraud to Discovery

The Discovery Fraudline takes reports of suspected fraud at all hours: toll-free 0800 004 500, SMS 43477, toll-free fax 0800 007 788, international +27 31 508 6444, or email discovery@tip-offs.com. Insurance fraud can also be reported to the South African Insurance Association Fraudline on 0860 002 526 or insurance@fraudline.co.za.

Discovery late-joiner penalty explained

Discovery Health Medical Scheme may apply a late-joiner penalty, as the Medical Schemes Act allows. It applies to an applicant or dependant who is 35 or older and either was not on a registered South African medical scheme on or before 1 April 2001, or has had a break in cover of more than three consecutive months since then. Foreign schemes and insurance policies do not count as cover.

The penalty is based on the number of years without registered medical scheme cover since age 35, using the formula X minus (35 plus Y), where X is your age when you apply and Y is your years of creditable cover. It is added only to the risk part of your contribution, not to a Medical Savings Account:

Uncovered years	Penalty
1 to 4 years	5% of contribution
5 to 14 years	25% of contribution
15 to 24 years	50% of contribution
25 years or more	75% of contribution

Discovery’s own worked example: someone aged 58 who belonged to another scheme for 12 years has 58 minus (35 plus 12), which is 11 uncovered years, so a 25% penalty. To query how a penalty was calculated on your membership, call 0860 99 88 77 with proof of your previous cover.

Discovery head office

The Discovery Group headquarters – shared by Discovery Health, Discovery Life and the group’s other companies – is at 1 Discovery Place, Sandton, 2196, with offices in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Discovery Insure uses PO Box 3888, Rivonia, 2128, with a physical address at 155 West Street, Sandton. These are corporate offices, not service counters; Discovery points customers to Discovery Stores for in-person help. Discovery Ltd is registration number 1999/007789/06.

Discovery companies and product areas

Discovery runs separate contact routes for each company and product area. If your question is about one of these, its own page has the specific number, email and hours.

Health and medical aid

Authorisations and hospital admissions

Life and funeral cover

Short-term insurance

Banking and retirement

Claims and support

Frequently asked questions

What is the Discovery contact number?

It depends on the company. Medical aid and Vitality are on 0860 99 88 77, Discovery Bank on 0800 07 96 97, Discovery Insure on 0860 751 751 and Discovery Life on 0860 00 54 33. Discovery 911, for medical emergencies, is 0860 999 911.

What is the Discovery Vitality contact number?

0860 99 88 77, with agents on hand Monday to Friday 07:00 to 18:00. From outside South Africa, call +27 11 529 6006.

What is the Discovery WhatsApp number?

Medical aid members use Ask Discovery on 0860 756 756. Vitality members start a WhatsApp chat from the Vitality section of Discovery’s contact page.

What is the Discovery claims email address?

Life claims go to LifeClaims@discovery.co.za and Discovery Insure claims to insureclaims@discovery.co.za. No claims email is listed for medical aid members.

What is the Discovery Life call centre number?

0860 00 54 33 for general queries and 0860 103 905 for Discovery Life claims.

What is the Discovery email address?

There is no single one. The contact page lists an email per company, such as insureinfo@discovery.co.za for Discovery Insure, discoverylifeinfo@discovery.co.za for Discovery Life and invest_support@discovery.co.za for Discovery Invest. For Discovery Bank, call 0800 07 96 97 or email complaints@discovery.bank for complaints.

What is the Discovery oncology contact number?

There is no separate oncology number. Call the medical aid line on 0860 99 88 77, or email DCO_Oncology@discovery.co.za to register on the Oncology Care Programme.

What is the Discovery Bank universal branch code?

Discovery Bank publishes a single code, Branch code 679000, for payments into any Discovery Bank account from another bank. Discovery does not label it “universal”.

What is the Discovery pension fund contact number?

Discovery Retirement Funds, which covers employer pension and provident funds, is on 0860 22 29 99 or retirementfunds@discovery.co.za.

How do I know these Discovery details are correct?

We only list details read from the official website or channels of Discovery, and this page shows the date they were checked. Confirm on the official site before you share personal information or make a payment.

Sources

Discovery Contact Us page (all Discovery companies, complaints and fraud lines), discovery.co.za, read 14 September 2026
Discovery Health Medical Scheme Late-Joiner Penalty 2025, discovery.co.za, read 14 September 2026
Discovery Contact Us page (Corporate and Employee Benefits, Retirement Funds, Group Risk, healthcare professionals, re-check of main numbers), discovery.co.za/corporate/contact-us, read 12 October 2026
Discovery Bank info and tips: managing your accounts (branch code), discovery.co.za/bank/info-and-tips-managing-your-accounts, read 12 October 2026
Discovery Health Medical Scheme Oncology Benefit page (Oncology Care Programme registration), discovery.co.za/medical-aid/cancer-treatment, read 12 October 2026