Freedom Life Funeral Cover: Who Runs It Now

Freedom Life was a funeral plan brand, and the old website no longer resolves. Meerkat's transition page says Freedom Life policies are insured by Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer Limited, known as OMART, and that MyMeerkat FSP (Pty) Ltd has administered them since 16 May 2022.

That means claims, questions and changes to an existing Freedom Life policy now go to Meerkat, not to a Freedom Life office. MyMeerkat FSP (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider, number 50979, and the policies are underwritten by OMART, a licensed life insurer.

You can confirm who you are dealing with by phoning the FSCA on its toll-free number, 0800 110 443. It tells the public to check that the FSP number matches the name on its database.

• freedomlife.co.za no longer resolves; Freedom Life policies are insured by Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer Limited (OMART) and administered by MyMeerkat FSP (Pty) Ltd since 16 May 2022, so claims and changes go to Meerkat. (connect.meerkat.co.za)
• Meerkat states existing Freedom Life benefits stay the same for as long as the policy runs, and no new policy documents are issued because the insurer did not change. (connect.meerkat.co.za)
• No material changes are allowed to an existing Freedom Life plan; a new Meerkat Funeral Plan has to be applied for. (connect.meerkat.co.za)
• Debit orders and Shoprite/EasyPay payment methods carried on unchanged after the transfer, but 1Voucher payment was discontinued and had to move to debit order. (connect.meerkat.co.za)
• Freedom Life policies can only cover the applicant as policyholder; a policy taken out in another person's name without them knowing can be cancelled as impersonation fraud with no premium refund. (connect.meerkat.co.za)
• Meerkat can review Freedom Life premiums and, if a family cannot afford an increase, says it will offer a reduced sum assured or removal of people from the policy. (connect.meerkat.co.za)
• MyMeerkat FSP (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP, number 50979; policies are underwritten by OMART, a licensed life insurer. (meerkat.co.za)

Plans as Freedom Life 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 Freedom Life lists:

• Meerkat Funeral Cover (the current product Freedom Life policyholders are directed to apply for): Valid claims paid within 24 hours; no medical tests.

Sources: freedomlife.co.za (archived copy), meerkat.co.za/funeral.

Meerkat states that existing Freedom Life benefits stay the same for as long as the policy runs. No new policy documents were issued, because the insurer did not change.

No material changes are allowed to an existing Freedom Life plan. If you want different cover, you have to apply for a new Meerkat Funeral Plan.

Debit orders and Shoprite or EasyPay payment methods carried on unchanged after the transfer. 1Voucher payment was discontinued, and those policies had to move to debit order.

Meerkat can review Freedom Life premiums. If a family cannot afford an increase, Meerkat says it will offer a reduced sum assured or the removal of people from the policy. Phone before you stop paying, because a lapsed policy may lose its cover.

A Freedom Life policy can only cover the applicant as policyholder. Meerkat says a policy taken out in another person's name without their knowledge can be cancelled as impersonation fraud, with no premium refund. Check that the person on your policy knows about it.

Freedom Life is not sold under that name any more. Meerkat directs people who want new cover to apply for its own product, Meerkat Funeral Cover. We do not sell it, so treat these as Meerkat's published figures.

Meerkat says cover amounts go up to R60,000 and that funeral cover starts from R45 a month. You must be a South African resident aged 18 to 60. Children can be covered up to age 23, and parents and in-laws up to age 75. Meerkat says there are no medical tests, and that valid claims are paid within 24 hours.

Its waiting period is not published on the page we checked, so ask before you apply. If you already completed a waiting period on a policy with another insurer at least 31 days earlier, the law says the new insurer may not impose another. Compare options on our funeral cover comparison page before you replace anything, and do not cancel a Freedom Life policy until new cover is in force.

Checked on 30 September 2026 against Freedom Life's official website. Numbers change, so confirm on the linked page before you call. Freedom Life 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: connect.meerkat.co.za/freedomlife, meerkat.co.za/contact-us, meerkat.co.za/funeral.

Call (021) 003 4521, the number Meerkat gives for Freedom Life policy changes, queries and claims. You can also send a WhatsApp message to 060 633 7528 or email [email protected]. Freedom Life policyholder questions can go to [email protected].

Meerkat's transition page does not list the documents for a claim, so ask when you call. Have the death certificate, the deceased's ID, the claimant's ID and the beneficiary's bank details ready.

The 24-hour payout that Meerkat states is on its own Meerkat Funeral Cover page, so do not assume it applies to a Freedom Life policy. The regulator's rule is that an insurer must decide a funeral claim within two business days after it has every required document. 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.

If you are 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 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.

Meerkat lists [email protected] for reporting fraud. Never pay a claim fee, and never send money to a new bank account because someone phoned you.