Compare Funeral Cover

Quotes only compare if they are for the same cover amount and the same lives. Decide on a cover amount per person first, using our funeral cover calculator worksheet, then ask each insurer to quote exactly that.

Be careful with "from" prices. They are usually for the smallest cover amount on the youngest person. Your premium depends on your ages, the cover you choose and the people you add, so only a quote for your family is a fair comparison.

This table uses what each insurer says on its own pages. Where an insurer's pages do not state a waiting period, we say so instead of guessing. Use it to shortlist, then ask each provider for a written quote.

The rules do not allow a waiting period for accidental death, so ask each insurer to confirm in writing when accidental cover starts. The cover figures are the insurer's published limits, not a promise of what you will be offered.

Compare these for each plan.

Insurers state very different yearly increases. Clientele says premiums escalate by 10% and benefits by 6% each year. FNB says premiums rise 8% a year and cover 5% a year. OUTsurance raises premiums by 5% a year, and Liberty says its premiums increase automatically, currently at 3%. Capitec says it has no automatic annual premium increase.

A plan that looks cheaper in year one can cost more by year five. Ask each insurer what the premium and cover will be after a few increases, and whether cover rises with the premium.

The rules cap the waiting period for natural death at six months, or a quarter of the policy term if that is shorter. No waiting period may apply to accidental death, and none may apply when a policy renews. A new insurer may not impose a waiting period if you had earlier cover with another insurer for similar risks on the same people and had already served that waiting period.

Insurers describe this in their own words. AVBOB says the six months may be waived in part or in full if your earlier cover lapsed or was cancelled within 31 days before the new policy started. Capitec says it removes its waiting period where you have already served it and your previous policy was active within 31 days. Do not cancel your old policy until the new one is confirmed in writing.

Few people compare this, but it matters. Some insurers set a deadline for telling them about the death. OUTsurance says a claim must be submitted within 3 months of the date of death, with the requested documents supplied within a further 3 months. Nedbank says a claim must be reported within 180 days. African Bank and Icebolethu say six months. Doves says six months, with all documents in within 12 months. Standard Bank and FNB say 12 months.

A short deadline is easy to miss in the first weeks after a death. Ask for the deadline in writing and note it in your policy papers. Our payouts guide shows what each insurer asks for.

ASISA, the industry body for life insurers, reports a funeral payout rate of 93.2% in 2025, an industry figure across its members. It says the main reasons for declining funeral claims are waiting periods, fraud and unpaid premiums. Those are averages across insurers and say nothing about how one insurer treats you.

At the National Financial Ombud, funeral insurance was the most complained-about life insurance product in 2025, at 46.2% of all life insurance complaints, and declined claims were the main driver. The Ombud received 2 496 funeral complaints in 2025, up from 1 600 in 2024. Read the exclusions and the claim terms before you buy, and see how to use your rights if a claim goes wrong.

Many brands you meet at a bank or a till are not the insurer. The Pep plan is the Abacus Funeral Plan, underwritten by Abacus Life Ltd. Funeral cover sold at Shoprite, Checkers and Usave counters is OUTsurance cover. Standard Bank's plan is underwritten by Liberty Group Limited. Capitec Funeral Cover is underwritten by Capitec Life Limited, not Sanlam, because the two ended their funeral cooperation on 31 October 2024. Nedbank's is underwritten by Nedgroup Life and African Bank's by Guardrisk Life.

Check the insurer's name on your policy schedule. The Prudential Authority publishes the list of licensed insurers at resbank.co.za/en/home/what-we-do/Prudentialregulation/insurers-list. To check a seller, search the FSCA's list of authorised providers at fsca.co.za/Entity-Persons-Search/?iframe_target=financial-services-providers, or call the FSCA toll-free on 0800 110 443.

Comparison sites can save time, but ask how they are paid. Hippo, for example, compares funeral quotes from ten insurers. It is free to use, is paid a fee by partners when you choose to find out more, and orders results by price alone. It is part of Telesure Investment Holdings, which owns four of the ten insurers on its panel, although Hippo says it is a separate, impartial business.

Use a comparison site as a starting point, then ask two or three insurers directly for a quote on the same cover and lives. We do not sell or broker cover and earn nothing from the choice you make.