Safrican Funeral Cover

Safrican began as a burial society in 1932 in Sophiatown and says it now covers over 1 million principal lives. It sits in Sanlam's Retail Mass business and merged with African Rainbow Life in 2021.

Safrican sells personal funeral cover to individuals and families, and group funeral cover to societies and parlours. Its website leans towards groups, so the personal product is easiest to find through its frequently asked questions page.

For the wider Sanlam picture, see our Sanlam funeral cover review.

• Safrican says it is part of the Sanlam Retail Mass group and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sanlam Life Insurance Limited. (safrican.co.za)
• Safrican began as a burial society in 1932 in Sophiatown and says it covers over 1 million principal lives. (safrican.co.za)
• Personal funeral cover goes up to R100,000 for the principal member and spouse; parents up to R40,000; children R10,000 (under 14) or R30,000 (14 and over); wider family R30,000. (safrican.co.za)
• Personal funeral cover can include parents and wider family up to age 85; a policy may have up to 8 children, 4 parents and 8 wider family members. (safrican.co.za)
• The minimum funeral premium is R80 a month, with an optional 5% or 10% yearly escalation. (safrican.co.za)
• A claim can be lodged by phone (011 778 8000), by email ([email protected]) or at a branch, and documents can be uploaded on the online claim form. (safrican.co.za)
• There is a 60-day cooling-off period on funeral cover. (safrican.co.za)
• Group funeral schemes are for burial societies, stokvels, co-operatives, churches and NPOs with 15+ members (R50 000 cover limit), and via parlours with 50+ members. (safrican.co.za)

Plans as Safrican 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 Safrican lists:

• Serenity Premium: Burial repatriation; unemployment and pregnancy holiday; temporary premium support; No More Premiums benefits (death, physical disability, retrenchment); double accident benefit; memorial benefit; grocery benefit; cash back benefit (per the site's comparison table; tick marks did not render in the fetched text, so which tier gets which benefit rests on the layout and is not confirmed).
• Bokamoso Funeral Plan: Paid via debit order or Pay@ (Ackermans, Boxer, Builder's Warehouse, Checkers, Flash, Game, Kazang, Makro, Pep, Pick n' Pay, Rhino, Shoprite, Shoprite Usave, Spar, Top It Up); made for anyone including SASSA grant holders.
• Group funeral cover for burial societies, stokvels, co-operatives, churches and NPOs: Membership = 15 members and above; burial repatriation benefit; administrative system management.
• Group funeral cover via funeral parlours (registered FSPs): Membership = 50 members and above; you need your own FSP licence.

Sources: safrican.co.za/frequently-asked-questions, safrican.co.za/group-risk-solutions.

Safrican's personal funeral cover has these maximum levels:

These are maximums across the personal funeral product, not what every plan pays. Your policy schedule shows the amount you chose.

A policy may include up to 8 children, 4 parents and 8 wider family members. On the Serenity Premium plan the main member joins at 18 to 64, and parents and wider family can be covered up to age 85. Safrican's site names other personal plans, but it does not clearly publish their entry ages, so ask before you apply.

The law limits funeral cover to a maximum per life insured with each insurer, and it counts all policies with that insurer together. See funeral cover for extended family if you are covering relatives.

Safrican states a minimum funeral premium of R80 a month, with an optional yearly escalation of 5% or 10%. It publishes no other premiums, so the price for your family has to come from a quote. Call 011 778 8000 or use the call back form on its website.

Safrican says there is a 60-day cooling-off period on funeral cover. The law sets a minimum of 31 days to cancel a new policy, if no benefit has been paid or claimed and no insured event has occurred.

The Bokamoso Funeral Plan is described as made for anyone, including SASSA grant holders. It can be paid by debit order or at Pay@ points such as Checkers, Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Spar, Pep, Boxer and Makro. Keep every receipt.

Safrican's group funeral cover is for burial societies, stokvels, co-operatives, churches and NPOs with 15 or more members, with a cover limit of R50 000. Its site lists a burial repatriation benefit and administrative system management for these schemes.

Funeral parlours that are registered financial services providers can also offer group cover through Safrican, with 50 or more members. You need your own FSP licence for that route.

If you belong to an informal society, ask who carries the risk and whether the insurer is licensed. Our guide to funeral policies versus burial societies explains the difference.

Checked on 30 September 2026 against Safrican's official website. Numbers change, so confirm on the linked page before you call. Safrican 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: safrican.co.za/contact, safrican.co.za/claims, safrican.co.za.

Safrican lists these documents for a funeral claim. They must be certified by a Commissioner of Oaths:

• The Safrican claim notification form, available on its website.
• A certified copy of the death certificate.
• Certified copies of the principal member's and the deceased's ID documents.
• A certified copy of the claimant's ID.
• A copy of the member's application form, where applicable.
• Proof of the beneficiary's banking details, such as a stamped bank statement not older than three months.
• A copy of the BI-1663 notice of death or stillbirth.
• A SAPS statement, only if the death was from unnatural causes.

You can lodge a claim by phone on 011 778 8000, by email to [email protected] or at a branch. Documents can be uploaded on the online claim form.

Safrican's claims page gives no payout time, so we cannot state one. The regulator's rule is that an insurer must decide a funeral claim within two business days after it has every required document. Ask Safrican when you lodge the claim what date to expect payment.

Safrican does not publish its waiting periods online. Ask on 011 778 8000 and check your policy schedule. Group schemes may differ from personal policies.

The law caps the waiting period for a natural death at six months. No waiting period may apply to an accidental death. Safrican cannot lawfully exclude suicide for more than 12 months from the start of the policy.

If Safrican declines a claim, ask for the reason in writing. An insurer may not turn down a funeral claim because you left out information it never asked you for. You can then complain to the National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900 or at nfosa.co.za. It is free for the person complaining. Safrican also lists [email protected] for complaints.