21st Century Funeral Services: plans, KwaZulu-Natal branches and contacts

21st Century Funeral Services, at 21stcfs.co.za, is a funeral company with its head office in Durban Central. It states that it operates six branches across KwaZulu-Natal, and it is not a national chain. Its branches are Durban Central, Pinetown, Midway Crossing in Ntuzuma, Umlazi Mega City, Empangeni and Umbilo. The addresses are in the contact table above.

It is a separate company from 21st Century Life, at 21stcenturylife.co.za. Check that you are on the right website before you apply or claim.

It offers both burial and cremation, and says cremation is available throughout the province. All its plans include free repatriation within South Africa and throughout the SADC region.

Branches are open Monday to Friday. West Street, Mbilo, Pinetown and Empangeni are open 08:00 to 16:30, and Midway and Mega City are open 08:30 to 17:00. We found no 24-hour line on the pages we read, so ask what to do after hours.

• 21st Century Funeral Services has a 3-month waiting period before claims can be submitted; for accidental death only one paid premium is required. There is no joining fee. (21stcfs.co.za)
• Five plans from R190 to R405 a month; every plan includes a funeral service, hearse, refreshments and grocery benefits; only Family Protector (R375) covers up to 10 members, the others up to 6. (21stcfs.co.za)
• All plans include free repatriation within South Africa and throughout the SADC region; cremation and burial are both offered. (21stcfs.co.za)
• It operates six branches across KwaZulu-Natal: Durban Central (head office), Pinetown, Midway Crossing (Ntuzuma), Umlazi Mega City, Empangeni and Umbilo. It is not a national chain. (21stcfs.co.za)
• 21st Century Funeral Service (21stcfs.co.za) is a separate company from 21st Century Life (21stcenturylife.co.za). (21stcfs.co.za)
• A claim can be declined for suicide in the first 12 months of cover, false or fraudulent information, or if the policyholder is no longer legally entitled to live or work in South Africa, among other exclusions; three missed premiums lapse the policy. (21stcfs.co.za)
• Branches are open Monday to Friday: West Street, Mbilo, Pinetown and Empangeni 08:00 to 16:30; Midway and Mega City 08:30 to 17:00. (21stcfs.co.za)

Plans as 21st Century Funerals 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 21st Century Funerals lists:

• Executive: Family vehicles: 2; Hall decor: Yes; Funeral Refreshments: Yes; Grocery Benefits: Yes.
• Family Protector: Family vehicles: No; Hall decor: No; Funeral Refreshments: Yes; Grocery Benefits: Yes.
• Prestige Plus: Family vehicles: 1; Hall decor: Yes; Funeral Refreshments: Yes; Grocery Benefits: Yes.
• Prestige: Family vehicles: No; Hall decor: No; Funeral Refreshments: Yes; Grocery Benefits: Yes.
• Premier: Family vehicles: No; Hall decor: No; Funeral Refreshments: Yes; Grocery Benefits: Yes.
• Student Funeral Cover: Access to professional grief counselling as part of membership.

Sources: 21stcfs.co.za, 21stcfs.co.za/student-funeral-cover, 21stcfs.co.za/faqs.

Checked on 30 September 2026 against 21st Century Funerals's official website. Numbers change, so confirm on the linked page before you call. 21st Century Funerals 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.

Six KwaZulu-Natal branches: Durban Central (Head Office: Ground Floor, Delta Towers, 303 Dr Pixley KaSeme Street, 4001), Pinetown (16A Pinetown Arcade, Dales Avenue), Ntuzuma / Midway Crossing (A225 Zavala Road), Umlazi Mega City (50 Griffiths Mxenge Highway), Empangeni (Unit 8 Mivaness Building, Rex Henderson & Turnbull Street), Umbilo (217 Magwaza Maphalala Street). (21stcfs.co.za)

Sources: 21stcfs.co.za/contact-us.

There are five monthly plans: Executive, Family Protector, Prestige Plus, Prestige and Premier. Every plan includes a funeral service, a hearse, funeral refreshments and grocery benefits. The plans differ in how many members they cover, the family vehicles and the hall decor. The plans table above shows each one, so we do not repeat it here.

Things the site does say:

• There is a 3 month waiting period before a claim can be submitted, and no joining fee.
• For an accidental death, only one paid premium is needed before a valid claim can be considered.
• The Family Protector plan is built for larger families. The other plans cover up to six members.
• There is a separate student funeral cover plan, and a tombstone policy can be added, because tombstones are not part of the standard plans.

What it does not say: no Rand cover amount is published for the five plans, only the services they include. Ask for the value of the benefit, and what happens if you want a cash payout instead of the services. Also ask for the entry ages, which are not stated for the five plans.

The rules cap the waiting period for natural death at six months, and no waiting period may apply to death by accident.

Read the exclusions before you sign. 21st Century says a claim can be declined in several cases, among them:

• The insured person dies by suicide within the first 12 months of their cover starting.
• The information given was false or fraudulent.
• The policyholder is no longer legally entitled to live or work in South Africa.

It also says that if three premium payments are missed, the policy lapses. Ask what happens after one missed payment, and get the grace period in writing.

If a claim is declined, ask for the reason in writing. You can then complain to the National Financial Ombud, which is free to use. Phone 0860 800 900 or use nfosa.co.za/submit-a-complaint/. Trying the insurer first is sensible but not a legal requirement.

Claims are handled through the FAQ page and the enquiry form on the website, where Claims is one of the options. There is no separate claims phone number. The main line is in the contact table above.

For a claim, 21st Century lists these documents:

• A certified copy of the beneficiary's ID, or the main member's ID if the claim is for an extended family member
• A completed claim form, and for an accidental death a completed police report form may also be required
• A copy of the BI-1663 notice of death form
• A certified copy of the deceased's ID
• A certified copy of the death certificate
• Bank confirmation for the beneficiary, where a cash payout forms part of the claim

It does not publish a payout time. Ask how long a claim takes once all the documents are in. Separately, a notice of death must be given to Home Affairs within 72 hours by a family member or a representative the family appoints. Our guide to how funeral cover payouts work explains what follows.

21st Century Funeral Services says it is an authorised financial services provider, FSP number 44071. It says its funeral policies are underwritten by Sanlam Developing Markets, FSP number 11230. Those are the company's own statements, and we did not check them on the FSCA register, so please do it before you pay.

• Search for each number on the FSCA register of authorised financial services providers and confirm that the name matches. The FSCA toll-free line is 0800 110 443.
• Ask for the full policy terms in writing, including the cover amount.

Never pay a claim fee or send money to a new bank account because a caller asked you to. Phone the number on the official site and confirm first.