Mark Savary’s journey from denial to advocacy transforms diabetes care in South Africa

After nearly three years of denial following his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, Mark Savary turned personal struggle into a powerful campaign advocating for better access, reduced stigma, and improved treatment options for South Africans living with diabetes.

Mark Savary spent nearly 3 years in denial after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2015 before beginning treatment in 2018, a delay he now sees as one of the most important lessons in his own story. In an interview published by Sweet Life, the 61-year-old marketing executive said that even with a strong professional understanding of the condition, he struggled to accept his diagnosis and wishes he had known sooner how to move past that reaction.

Savary has since turned that experience into advocacy work focused on access, stigma and education. According to SA Diabetes Advocacy, he serves on the organisation’s board and has used his background in the healthcare sector to push for wider access to effective treatment and patient support. The non-profit says its broader mission is to improve diabetes care in South Africa and give people living with the condition a stronger public voice.

That work has included a 2024 project aimed at addressing poor medicine adherence linked to side effects, with Savary leading efforts to get long-acting metformin included in the state sector formulary. SA Diabetes Advocacy says the goal is to make treatment more practical and affordable for more patients, including those relying on public healthcare. The organisation, founded in December 2021 by Kirsten de Klerk and Bridget McNulty, says it also works to support caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Savary said the stigma attached to diabetes, especially in the workplace, can be as damaging as the disease itself. He also argued that too many people are still priced out of medication or left unaware of the risks of complications such as chronic kidney disease. Beyond policy and access, his message to others living with diabetes is simple: seek support, do not isolate yourself and do not assume the condition has to define the limits of a full life.