What does an undertaker do?

An undertaker (also called a funeral director) will help to take the stress and hassle out of the administrative...

Locate the deceased’s ID smartcard or green barcoded ID book

Locate the deceased’s ID smartcard or green barcod...

Choosing a funeral parlour

Choose a reliable and reputable funeral parlour that will help you to arrange the funera...

Choose flowers

Flowers can add beauty and fragrance to a funeral. A special arrangement can also be placed on top of the coffin and around a...

Decide if petals will be needed

Flowers can be a respectful way to show compassion and solidarity during the funeral. Apart from the wreath ...

Determine amount of people who will be attending

While the number of attendants at a funeral during COVID-19 lockdown is a maximum of 50 peo...

Next of kin’s ID smartcard or green barcoded ID book

It is important that you locate the deceased’s next of kin's identity document as s...

Arrange candles and lighting

Candles have long been associated with funerals. The word ‘funeral’ is derived from the Latin funeralis, de...

Arrange beverages

In some African funeral traditions, beer is brewed before the burial as a final send-off, but in general the consumption o...

Marriage certificate

In the event that your spouse passes away, you will need a valid marriage certificate in order to submit insurance clai...

Food & catering

This is usually the area where a lot of financial and planning stress is experienced by the people arranging the funeral...

A photo of the deceased in case you need it for printing a memento or song sheets

A photo of the deceased might be needed for printing a mem...

Funeral music and hymns

It is a wonderful tribute and an uplifting celebration to honour your loved one with their favourite music. If yo...

Arrange service programmes

Depending on whether you have a formal funeral service or informal memorial service, you can make your service pr...

Choosing a tombstone

A tombstone can be a lasting tribute to your loved one. The prices of tombstones can vary from R1,500 to R7,000 or more...

Deliver any funeral policies to the relevant funeral home

If the deceased or the family had a policy with a funeral home, you have to take t...

Cemeteries & graves

Having a peaceful resting place for your loved one is a big consideration when planning a funeral. Purchasing a grav...

The basics for a funeral service:

The below list outlines a few items often included in a traditional funeral. You can use your discretion o...

Select a grave marker and inscriptions

A grave marker, also known as an ‘epitaph’ are the short inscriptions we write on the headstone t...

Arrange storage of the deceased’s body

The funeral parlour will usually charge for storage of the body.

Plan the time and location for the service

With a traditional funeral, the actual burial can take place anytime from 24 hours to two weeks a...

Clothing for the deceased

Taking the time to honour your loved one through their clothing and appearance is a wonderful way of paying your r...

Select any photos that will be displayed

When choosing the image of the deceased to be displayed, it is important to realise that it might b...

Choose burial or cremation

A funeral gives you the opportunity to honour, respect and remember your loved one who has passed on. A funeral c...

Minister, officiator or religious leader who will be performing the service

In South Africa, funerals can combine traditional death rituals ...

Choose a venue

Venue hire for a funeral can range from R500 to R10,000 or more. Hiring a tent can cost anything from R500 to R5,000. It a...

The eulogy

The eulogy is where we get to remember, to rejoice and to celebrate the life of our loved one. A eulogy is a recounting of all...

Choosing a coffin or a casket

A coffin can be expensive because it needs to protect the deceased’s body, as well as the health of those th...

Including music as part of the funeral can add an uplifting and meaningful touch to the event.

It can be as simple as including a single aca...

Select the pallbearers

If you have a casket present at the service, you might consider using pallbearers to escort it in and out. Caskets ar...

Decide if doves will be released

The release of white doves during the funeral can be a beautiful and healing tribute. It can be done from t...

Arrange live streaming for those who cannot be at the funeral

More and more funeral homes are offering a live streaming service to their cli...

Types of cremation:

Attended cremation The deceased is brought in a coffin/casket to the funeral service (church/venue)...

Arrange a grave unveiling

The unveiling of the tombstone might occur on the day of the burial afterwards. In South Africa, the event is ofte...

Transport

Most funeral parlours include the cost of a hearse as part of their fee. It’s best to confirm this, so there are no surprise exp...

Transport

Most funeral parlours include the cost of a hearse as part of their fee. It’s best to confirm this, so there are no surprise exp...

Traditional funerals

With a traditional funeral, the actual burial can take place anytime from 24 hours to two weeks after the death took pl...

Arrange for the service to be in the newspapers.

If you would like all those who know the deceased to attend the funeral service, then you c...

Obituaries

An obituary is a notice of someone’s death. They are usually written to bring across the facts, such as the time,...

Find out if the deceased had any funeral or life policies and contact the insurers or banks.

If you or a family member(s) are nominated bene...

Find out if the deceased had a Will in place.

If the Will was kept at the deceased’s bank, then the bank will usually help.

What if t...

Claiming on a policy

In the event of the death of a loved one, you will need to locate any funeral or life policies the deceased had in plac...

Contact the deceased’s bank.

The bank will freeze the deceased’s bank account to prevent anyone from fraudulently trying to withdraw fun...

Contact the deceased's employers

Contact the deceased’s employers to see if they had any life cover through their employer.

The Death Certificate

The Death Certificate is an important document. It will help you to sort out all the administrative details, such as l...

What is an ‘executor’?

An executor is the legal term for the person/ people/institution who are nominated in a Will to carry out the wis...

Cease debit orders on deceased's bank account

Find out which debit orders go off the deceased’s bank account, including municipal accounts...