How will you remember 2020?
In 2020, the life of every human being on the planet was changed by a fast-spreading virus and ensuing global pandemic. As a business, we navigated possibly the most complex challenge we’ve ever faced. Against the disruptive and tragic impacts of COVID-19 on lives and livelihoods, Discovery was guided by our core purpose to protect our clients, employees and broader society. In a moving documentary and pioneering, illustrated eBook, we have captured inspiring interviews, narratives and images that will forever define 2020. Take a moment to pause and to reflect. Then, look forward with hope.
“Impact. The story of a pandemic no one expected”
Reports about a new, highly infectious coronavirus that was spreading throughout the world felt like a scene from a movie. Most thought it would be contained, but in only a few months, the world came to a standstill. Watch the gripping interviews and recollections that capture what it took to keep Discovery’s people, clients, and the country safe in this story of a pandemic that no one ever expected. This film tells how people with purpose came together to make a positive impact in an uncertain time.
The pandemic no one expected | The moment of our every response
You’re about to view a book like no other. This unique publication consists of two stand-alone books that unfold into two powerful, parallel stories. The books can be read independently. However, they are designed to be read in parallel – a chapter of the one with a chapter of the other.
Here’s how these books work:
“PEOPLE” tells the story of South Africa’s and the world’s experience of the pandemic.
“PURPOSE” captures Discovery’s response to COVID-19.
You may choose to read all of PEOPLE and then all of PURPOSE, or to read a chapter of one and the corresponding chapter in the other.
Together, the books are a tribute to the contribution made by every Discovery employee over 2020, to humanity’s triumph in the face of adversity and to healing and hope going forward.

The PEOPLE book tells the story of South Africa’s and the world’s experience of the pandemic.
