DStv Funeral Cover

MultiChoice sells the policy, adds the premium to your DStv account, services policyholders and takes in claims. It is the authorised intermediary, not the insurer.

The insurer is NMS Insurance Services (SA) Limited, a licensed micro insurer. Sanlam Life Insurance Limited holds 60% of it and MultiChoice holds 40%. Sanlam Life and Savings processes and pays the claims.

You must be a DStv or MultiChoice customer to buy the policy. If you stop being one, ask how the policy is affected before you cancel your subscription.

• DStv funeral cover is underwritten by NMS Insurance Services (SA) Limited, a licensed micro insurer that is a Sanlam Group subsidiary; MultiChoice (FSP 53950) sells and services it. (dstv.com)
• Family cover of R5 000 to R50 000 costs R29 to R209 a month and includes a spouse and up to 4 children; the extended family option is R20 000 cover for R319 a month. (dstv.com)
• Waiting period is 6 consecutive months for natural death with none for accidental death; suicide or deliberate wrongful action in the first 12 months is not covered. (dstv.com)
• The policyholder must be a DStv/MultiChoice customer and a South African citizen aged 18 or older; insured people may not be older than 75 at the start. (dstv.com)
• Claim by calling 011 369 4000 or emailing [email protected] with the subject line 'DStv Insurance Claim'; claims must be submitted within 6 months of the death. (dstv.com)
• Premiums are added to the customer's MultiChoice/DStv account; the policy lapses if premiums are outstanding for 2 months and cannot be reinstated (a new policy is issued, with a waiting period of no more than 6 months in total); 31-day cooling-off with full refund if no claim. (dstv.com)
• Waiting period already completed on a similar policy within the 31 days before inception can be deducted, with written proof. (dstv.com)

Plans as DStv describes them on its own website on 30 September 2026. Premiums depend on your age, the cover amount and who you add, so the published figures are examples, not quotes.

Extra benefits DStv lists:

• DStv Extended Family Funeral Cover: Individual Funeral Cover (main policyholder up to R50 000); Individual Extended Funeral Cover (parents, uncle, aunt, grandparents, siblings, nephew, niece or cousin aged 18 to 75, up to R50,000); Household Employee Funeral Cover (domestic worker, gardener, driver, etc., aged 18 to 75, up to R50,000). Premiums for these depend on age of life insured and cover amount.

Sources: dstv.com/...does-dstv-funeral-cover-cost.

The Family Funeral Policy has five cover levels, R5 000 to R50 000. A spouse and up to 4 children are included at no extra cost. The table above shows the published monthly premium for each level.

DStv's price table is undated, so confirm the current premium on your MyDStv page or on 011 369 4000 before you apply.

The Extended Family Funeral Cover gives R20 000 for R319 a month, for yourself and up to 9 family members: a spouse, six children and two extended family members. No more than 2 extended family members older than 17 may be on the policy.

DStv also lists individual cover for the main policyholder and extended family, and a Household Employee Funeral Cover for a domestic worker, gardener or driver aged 18 to 75, up to R50,000. Their premiums depend on the age of the person and the cover amount, and no table is published. The policy wording scales payouts for children and extended family by age, so read the policy schedule to see what each person is covered for.

The waiting period is 6 consecutive months for natural death. There is none for accidental death. Suicide or deliberate wrongful action in the first 12 months is not covered.

If you completed a waiting period on a similar policy within the 31 days before this one started, DStv can deduct it, with written proof. The law also says a new insurer may not impose a waiting period if you had a funeral policy with another insurer at least 31 days earlier, covering the same people, and you had finished that waiting period.

Premiums are added to your MultiChoice or DStv account. The policy lapses if premiums are outstanding for 2 months, and it cannot be reinstated. A new policy is issued instead, with a waiting period of no more than 6 months in total. The regulator's rules say a new policy with the same insurer within two months of a premium lapse carries no new waiting period, except for any unexpired part of an unfinished one. Ask DStv how it applies that rule.

There is a 31-day cooling-off period, with a full refund if no claim has been made.

Checked on 30 September 2026 against DStv's official website. Numbers change, so confirm on the linked page before you call. DStv will never ask you to pay a claim fee or send money to a new bank account; if a caller does, hang up and phone the official number.

Sources: dstv.com/...stv-insurance/how-do-i-claim, dstv.com/.../how-do-i-get-dstv-insurance, dstv.com/...funeral-cover-policy-wording.

Call 011 369 4000, or email [email protected] with the subject line "DStv Insurance Claim". Submit the claim within 6 months of the death, or the benefit is lost.

The policy wording does not list the documents you need. It says the insurer may ask for more, such as an affidavit, a BI1663 notice of death form or a police report. Ask DStv on 011 369 4000 for the exact list, and have the death certificate and IDs ready.

The wording says that within 2 business days after all required documents are received, the insurer must tell the claimant whether the claim is valid, rejected or disputed. That is a decision deadline, not a promise of payment. DStv publishes no payout time.

Our guide to how funeral cover payouts work explains the steps.

Ask for the reason in writing. The main reasons funeral claims are declined are waiting periods, fraud and unpaid premiums, according to the industry body ASISA. An insurer may not turn down a funeral claim because you did not disclose something it never asked about before the policy started.

DStv says complaints must be in writing, labelled "Funeral Policy Complaint", and sent to [email protected]. If you are still not satisfied, complain to the National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900 or at nfosa.co.za. It is free for the person complaining. The policy wording also lists the FAIS Ombud at [email protected]. The National Financial Ombud may dismiss a complaint if three years or more have passed since you knew, or should have known, that you had cause to complain, so do not wait.