Funeral parlours in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha): 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 a rural village or 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.

We have not checked the grave or cremation tariffs of Nelson Mandela Bay, the municipality that covers Gqeberha. Call its cemeteries office and ask for the current tariff for an adult grave, a child grave and a cremation, and whether residents and non-residents pay different amounts.

Ask that last question because it can matter a great deal. In Ekurhuleni, 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 Gqeberha price list.

We name a business below only where its own site or a source we checked places it in Gqeberha or the Eastern Cape. Many local parlours work here too. Call the branch nearest you to confirm it can serve your address.

• Martin's Funerals: its branch locator lists Gqeberha, Jeffreys Bay and Uitenhage, and it says it has representation in all 9 provinces. Branches are franchises, so each one runs its own service.
• Nyaradzo: lists an office in Newton Park, Gqeberha. Its South African offering is a plan for Zimbabweans living in South Africa who want repatriation to Zimbabwe.
• Icebolethu: lists the Eastern Cape among the provinces where it has branches. Its insurer is RMA Life Assurance Company.
• Two Mountains: says it operates in the Eastern Cape, among other provinces.
• Doves: says it has branches in all 9 provinces. Its funeral insurance is underwritten by African Unity Life.
• Richter Funerals: based in East London and King William's Town, if your family is in the wider Border-Kei region.

Many Gqeberha families bury in a village elsewhere in the Eastern Cape. Ask each parlour whether it will make the trip itself, what it charges for transport to that exact place, and whether the coffin, the hearse and any tent are included. Get this in writing before you agree.

Martin's says transport of the deceased is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. AVBOB policyholders whose policy has been in force for at least 24 months and who use AVBOB Funeral Service get free transport of the deceased within South Africa as part of its free funeral benefits.

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 Nelson Mandela Bay 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.