Funeral parlours in Johannesburg: how to choose and what the City charges

• 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 outside the city or 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 church or your community for names they have actually used, then check the parlour yourself.

The City Parks and Zoo rates page lists these municipal fees. The page does not show a financial year. We believe they are the 2025/26 rates, because the council-approved 2024/25 fee for an adult burial in a Category A cemetery was R3 598. Check the current figure with the City before you rely on it.

Category A means West Park, Brixton and Braamfontein. Category B is every other cemetery. These are the City's fees only. The coffin, transport, the parlour's own fees, a tent, catering and a headstone are extra.

The rates page we read does not say whether residents and non-residents pay different amounts. Ask the City which rate applies to the deceased's address.

Ekurhuleni borders Johannesburg, and many families bury there. Its 2025/26 tariffs, effective from 1 July 2025 and including VAT, show why residency matters. For Category A cemeteries, an adult first interment costs R2 648 for residents and R11 010 for non-residents. Cremation including chapel fees costs R640 for residents and R2 659 for non-residents.

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

We name a business below only where its own site or a source we checked places it in Johannesburg or Gauteng. Other parlours operate here too. Call the branch nearest to you to confirm it can serve your address.

• Doves: head office in Newtown, Johannesburg, and it says it has branches in all 9 provinces. Its funeral insurance is underwritten by African Unity Life.
• Kings and Queens: head office in New Doornfontein, Johannesburg, with branches in Randburg, Cosmocity and Tembisa. Its site names no insurer, so ask who underwrites its policies.
• Legae Funeral Home (formerly Sopema): founded in Soweto in 1988, with an office in Randburg as well. Underwritten by Sanlam Developing Markets.
• Broodie Funeral Parlour: head office in Soshanguve, Pretoria, and an office in Fourways, Johannesburg. Its cover is underwritten by Assupol.
• MTG Funerals: based in Limpopo, with an office in Johannesburg. It says it has branches across Limpopo and Gauteng.
• Icebolethu: lists branches in Gauteng, including Randburg. Its insurer is RMA Life Assurance Company.
• Two Mountains: says it operates across Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
• Martin's Funerals: says it has representation in all 9 provinces. Branches are franchises, so each one runs its own service.
• Pyramid Funeral Parlour: head office in Boksburg North, with a branch in Soweto (Diepkloof).
• GS Funeral Parlour: operates from Vosloorus, Gauteng.
• Chevra Kadisha: Jewish burial in Johannesburg, arranged through the Johannesburg Chevrah Kadisha. It is a communal organisation, not an insurer.

For Soweto specifically, see our page on funeral parlours in Soweto.

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, so the parlour cannot fix a date until then.

• 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.

Start by asking the City of Johannesburg 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.