"Dis-Chem started 2026 with a strong core belief that we wanted to get South Africans to move more, because we know that just as little as five minutes a day of moving your body will bring tremendous health benefits," says  Megan Kim de Vroeg, Chief Marketing Officer at Dis-Chem.

"So we put the question to our social media followers: 'What does Better Health mean to you?'," adds de Vroeg.

The South African Conductor, Composer and Producer Ralf Schmitt, the Conductor and Co-Founder of the Ndlovu Youth Choir, used those responses as inspiration to compose a song that was first performed by the newly formed Dis-Chem Freedom Choir at Dis-Chem's Leadership Summit in April.

The choir comprises 32 Dis-Chem staff members from Gauteng, three from the Western Cape and five from KZN, who were selected from more than 100 entries at national auditions, says the company.

"It was a very exciting process to write a song about what Dis-Chem staff and South Africans felt Better Health means for them, and my interpretation of that was, it's freedom," says Schmitt. "You know, age is going to catch up with all of us, something is going to happen to us along the way, and if you've got good heath, you've got freedom."

"And they said, you're going to record it with the Dis-Chem staff, and I was, like, what? Do the staff sing at Dis-Chem? I never knew that," adds Schmitt. "And boy, do they sing at Dis-Chem."

"This song describes us as individuals, what we stand for and what we are," says Glen Sefularo, a Dis-Chem Merchandiser at the Tambotie Mall branch in Randfontein. "So, it's not only about the person who wrote it, but it's South Africans who are asked to reply to it, and they responded wholeheartedly."

Since being performed internally at different Dis-Chem internal events, Freedom was re-recorded in August as a full commercial release, featuring J'Something, the Amapiano vocalist Thatohatsi, and hip-hop MC Early B, alongside the Gauteng-based choir, says the company.

"Dis-Chem's passion for improving lives can either be seen as marketing jargon, or it can be understood as the genuine purpose behind the business," says J'Something. "While I don't know everyone at Dis-Chem or the roots from which the brand grew, knowing that this is its purpose — its 'why' — is what made it a brand I was drawn to for a campaign like this."

"So that I hope that on Heritage Day, this song can revive the acknowledgement and awareness of our freedom, whether it's freedom to move or freedom to express. It's a beautiful day and it's a beautiful time to be alive to be able to do such things," adds J'Something.

"This track has been in the making for months and we were excited to release the song on Heritage Day as it addresses freedom of movement and our commitment to Better Health for all South Africans," says de Vroeg. "Against the backdrop of the national sentiment surrounding freedom for women, we debated about delaying its release as we recognise that true freedom and better health depend on people being able to live their lives safely, with dignity and without fear of violence."

"We are acutely aware of the need to provide safe spaces where all South Africans — men, women and children — can achieve their health goals as an essential part of building a healthier society. In the end we decided to share the song with South Africans on Heritage Day as it speaks to the kind of freedom we should all be entitled to, no matter where we are and no matter what we are doing," concludes de Vroeg.

For more information, visit www.dischem.co.za. You can also follow Dis-Chem on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor