A funeral in South Africa can cost anything up to R30 000 or more, depending on the costs of custom practices that must be adhered to. A cremation could be slightly less, but still expensive.
People don’t usually think of funeral costs while in the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. Death is far from people’s minds. They don’t like to think about death. It’s morbid, they think, so we’ll not dwell on such thoughts.
Death often comes as a surprise and with grief to families and loved ones. And with shock when it is discovered just how much a burial or cremation will cost. This is why you must consider taking out a funeral cover policy. It is the right and responsible things to do.
Reasons for taking out a policy
Why do you need a funeral cover policy?
You need this for various reasons:
- To spare your family from having to raise a vast sum of money while still coping with grief.
- For a meagre-income family, this especially dire and could see them spiralling into debt which will be very hard to get out of.
- Funeral cover payouts are immediate, normally within 48 hours of submitting a claim.
- You get a plan that provides an income for your family for a certain period. If you were the main earner in the family, this is a most needed cushion from having to suddenly face a reality where there is no breadwinner.
You will be able to take out a policy that suits your budget and your needs. Funeral policies abound in South Africa. It’s big business after all and one thing you can be certain of is death. You will always be in demand, whether in the coffin business or the funeral business. Or the funeral policy business. It’s shocking to think that there are people out to make a fast buck, even where death is concerned.
Go with the major insurers and be safe
That, unfortunately, is the sad reality, anywhere in the world. That is why you must be careful when choosing a policy from a no-name brand. Not saying that they’re all crooks, but rather be safe than sorry. If you go with a major insurer whose name is well known you will be safe even if the premiums are higher than the other guys.
Some funeral policy suppliers will also assist in organising the funeral. So, you will have experienced people helping at a time when you need it the most. If you don’t know what all must be done and put in place to ensure the smooth running of the funeral, it can be very taxing.
Funeral policies start for as little as R36 per month, so you can spread the costs over a period. You can also cover your family members, so everyone at least has peace of mind. So, planning for a funeral is never a fun thing to do, obviously, but it is the most responsible thing you could do.
What you can do is go online and look at all the funeral policy providers and their monthly premiums. You will find all the contact details and most sites will enable you to fill out the necessary forms and be able to process everything on the Internet.