Funeral parlours in Durban: how to choose and what to check

• Shortlist two or three parlours and ask each for a written, itemised quote.
• Confirm they can collect the deceased and hold the funeral where you need it, including a burial in another province.
• Ask who underwrites any funeral plan they sell, and whether that insurer is licensed.
• See the coffin range and ask what is included and what costs extra.
• Ask family, your place of worship or your community for names they have actually used, then check the parlour yourself.

A July 2024 news report in the IOL group says cremation fees in eThekwini rose by 50% on 1 July 2024, from R750 in 2022 to R1 800. The same report says a private crematorium, Clare Estate, was quoted at close to R2 650.

That is the only municipal figure we could verify for Durban. It is from 2024, and a newer tariff may apply, so confirm with eThekwini. We have not verified eThekwini's grave fees. Ask the municipality for the current tariff for an adult grave, a child grave and a cremation, and whether residents and non-residents pay different amounts. In Ekurhuleni, for example, an adult first interment in a Category A cemetery costs R2 648 for residents and R11 010 for non-residents in 2025/26.

1Life, an insurer, estimates a whole funeral at R35 000 to R45 000 on average with a municipal burial plot, and more than R50 000 with a private memorial park. It says an adult municipal plot costs R2 000 to R11 000, depending on the cemetery and whether the deceased lived in that municipality. That is a national estimate, not a Durban price list.

We name a business below only where its own site or a source we checked places it in Durban or KwaZulu-Natal. Others operate here too. Call the branch nearest you to confirm it can serve your address.

• 21st Century Funerals: six KwaZulu-Natal branches, at Durban Central (head office), Pinetown, Ntuzuma and Midway Crossing, Umlazi Mega City, Empangeni and Umbilo. It is not a national chain. Its policy is underwritten by Sanlam Developing Markets.
• Icebolethu: founded in KwaZulu-Natal, with its call centre and a branch in Congela, Durban. Since September 2024 its insurer has been RMA Life Assurance Company.
• Doves: founded in Durban in 1883, and says it now has branches in all 9 provinces. Its funeral insurance is underwritten by African Unity Life.
• Two Mountains: says it operates in KwaZulu-Natal, among other provinces.
• Martin's Funerals: says it has representation in all 9 provinces. Branches are franchises, so each one runs its own service.

Families in Durban follow many traditions. Before you choose, ask the parlour plainly whether it can carry out the rites your family needs, and whether it can meet the timing your faith requires. Some faiths ask for burial soon after death. Whatever the timing, the death still has to be registered with Home Affairs and a burial order issued first, so ask the parlour what it can arrange and how quickly.

If you want a cremation, ask the parlour which crematorium it uses and whether the crematorium fee is in its quote or extra.

Whichever parlour you use, the death has to be registered with Home Affairs before the burial or cremation. Home Affairs says the notice of death must be given within 72 hours by a family member, or by a representative the family appoints with a letter of authority. The law says no burial may take place without a burial order, and it counts cremation as burial, so the same rule applies if you choose cremation.

An abridged death certificate is issued free of charge on the day the death is registered. A good parlour will explain the forms, but ask exactly which steps it handles and which ones you must do yourself.

If the death was not from natural causes, the police investigate first. The burial order is issued only after the body is no longer needed for that investigation.

• Is the full quote in writing and itemised, and what is extra?
• Can you collect the deceased and hold the funeral where I need it, and what does transport cost?
• Do you sell funeral cover? Which licensed insurer underwrites it, and what is your FSP number?
• What is the waiting period? For natural death it cannot be longer than six months, and no waiting period may apply to death from an accident.
• What documents does a claim need, and when will the insurer decide? The insurer must decide within two business days of receiving all the documents. That is a deadline for a decision, not for the money to arrive.

Ask eThekwini whether it has any help for families who cannot afford a burial. We could not verify a scheme, so do not assume one exists. Other sources of money to check:

• Government employees: the Government Employees Pension Fund pays a taxable lump sum of R20 000 towards the funeral of a member, pensioner or spouse, and R8 000 for an eligible child, where the death was after 31 March 2024. It does not pay the undertaker directly.
• SASSA: there is no separate funeral grant. If the person's grant was not withdrawn in the month of death, the family member who paid for the funeral can claim the unclaimed amount with the death certificate, both IDs and the funeral invoice and receipt. SASSA pays only that amount. Social Relief of Distress, for a maximum of three months, can apply where the breadwinner has died and you apply within 12 months.
• Road accident deaths: the Road Accident Fund refunds listed funeral costs after the family has paid. It does not cover catering, flowers, a tombstone, family transport, programmes, vigil expenses or hiring chairs and tents.
• Burial societies and stokvels: many families spread the cost this way. Read our guide to burial societies and check the arrangement is lawful before you rely on it.

You are entitled to a clear, itemised quote in writing, and you can turn down extras you do not want. A parlour that sells funeral cover needs a licensed insurer carrying the risk and must itself be an authorised financial services provider. A parlour that only provides funeral services needs no financial-sector authorisation, so you can ask for the service without buying its cover.

To check a provider, the FSCA asks the public to make sure the FSP number matches the name on its database. Its toll-free number is 0800 110 443.

If a funeral policy claim is declined or delayed, first take it up with the insurer, then complain to the National Financial Ombud. The service is free to you. Call 0860 800 900, email [email protected] or lodge the complaint at nfosa.co.za. Keep your policy document, the quote and the claim documents.