Royal Funerals: plans, contact numbers and how to claim

Royal Funerals is a South African funeral services group. It arranges and conducts the funeral itself and sells monthly plans that pay for that service. Its own website lists funeral plans, funeral services, cremation, repatriation, SADC cross-border funeral support, exhumation and reburial, and help with claims.

The funeral services include collecting and storing the deceased, preparing the body, hearses and family transport, setting up the funeral and support at the graveside.

Several unrelated businesses use the word "Royal" in their name. The official site is royalfuneralssa.co.za, so check the web address and the phone number before you pay anyone.

The contact table below names the Pretoria West branch, which is the head office branch, and the Soweto and Ninapark branches. Royal also publishes a branch locator. Use it to find the branch nearest to you, and phone that branch to confirm it can collect the deceased and arrange the funeral where you need it. If the funeral will be far from any branch, ask how Royal handles transport and whether repatriation is in your plan or charged separately.

• Royal Funerals' monthly premiums start from R165 (Standard Mini Dome, immediate family only) and R242 to R396 for the Pine, 3 Tier and Casket plans (11-13 members). (royalfuneralssa.co.za)
• The standard waiting period is six months for natural death; accidental death cover is active immediately once the first premium has been received. (royalfuneralssa.co.za)
• Royal says valid claims are paid within 48 hours after all required documentation has been received. (royalfuneralssa.co.za)
• All plans include grocery, vegetable and meat benefits (for example 6 x 2kg chicken, 5 x 10kg beef, 25kg maize meal, 10kg rice). (royalfuneralssa.co.za)
• Premiums and benefits are guaranteed for the first 12 months and may then be reviewed annually; a policy that misses premiums can lapse (reinstatable) or be terminated (needs a new application). (royalfuneralssa.co.za)
• Royal Funerals assists with cremation, repatriation, SADC cross-border funerals and exhumation/reburial as well as burial. (royalfuneralssa.co.za)
• Premiums can be paid via EFT, debit order, Easypay and Pay@; cover starts once the insurer receives the first premium. (royalfuneralssa.co.za)

Plans as Royal 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 Royal Funerals lists:

• Standard Mini Dome Plan: Grocery benefits included (chicken, beef, maize meal, rice, samp, sugar, tea, milk powder, oil, flour, vegetables); optional extras paid monthly (name board R 27.50, standard toilet R 38.50, gas stove R 38.50, pot R 38.50, 50 chairs R 33).
• Pine Funeral Plan: Grocery benefits included; optional extras paid monthly.
• 3 Tier Funeral Plan: Grocery benefits included; optional extras paid monthly including Grave 1 R 60.50 and Grave 2 R 104.50.
• Casket Funeral Plan: Grocery benefits included; 'Children above 21 years may incur additional charges'.

Sources: royalfuneralssa.co.za/...lans/standard-mini-dome-plan, royalfuneralssa.co.za/funeral-plans/pine-funeral-plan, royalfuneralssa.co.za/...al-plans/3-tier-funeral-plan, royalfuneralssa.co.za/...al-plans/casket-funeral-plan.

The four plans are Standard Mini Dome, Pine, 3 Tier and Casket. Royal lists the cover as funeral benefits, not a cash sum: the coffin spray, mortuary, hearse, family cars, tent, tables, chairs, toilet, airtime and printed programmes. The table above shows what each plan includes.

The Standard Mini Dome plan covers immediate family members only. The other three plans cover up to 13 members. Royal notes that children above 21 years may incur additional charges on the Casket plan.

Every plan lists grocery benefits, which include meat, maize meal, rice and vegetables. Royal also offers optional extras that you pay for monthly, such as a name board, a standard toilet or extra chairs. Ask for the full list of extras in writing, because each one adds to your monthly premium.

Royal says the entry age varies depending on the plan you choose, and it does not publish an age limit on the plan pages. Ask for the age limit for every person you want to add.

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

Sources: royalfuneralssa.co.za, royalfuneralssa.co.za/contact-info.

Royal's terms say the plans are underwritten by Royal Financial Services (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider (FSP 51465) and a registered micro-insurer (I363). The funeral group markets the plans and the insurer carries the risk.

Premiums and benefits are guaranteed for the first 12 months only. After that Royal may review them every year, so your premium can change. The premium is not fixed for the life of the plan.

You can pay by EFT, debit order, Easypay or Pay@. Cover starts once the insurer has received your first premium. If you miss premiums, the policy can lapse, and a lapsed policy can be reinstated. A policy that is terminated needs a new application.

For natural death the standard waiting period is six months. Accidental death is covered once the first premium has been received. South African rules allow a funeral policy to have a waiting period of up to six months for natural causes and none for accidents.

Royal publishes a claims page with a claim form. Royal lists the documents it needs:

• A completed funeral claim form.
• Certified proof of identity for the main member, such as an ID copy, birth certificate or passport.
• Certified proof of identity for the claimant and for the deceased.
• Certified proof of banking details, if the proceeds go to a different account.
• Proof of marriage where it applies, such as a marriage certificate, a lobola letter, proof of cohabitation, a councillor's letter or utility bills.
• A certified copy of the death certificate.
• A fully completed police report if the cause of death is unnatural, accidental or suicide.
• A copy of the notice of death form (BI-1663, DHA-1663 or BI-1680) with page 2 of 3 signed by the informant.

Royal says valid claims are paid within 48 hours after it has received all the required documents. Complete documents are the quickest route, so gather them before you call. Under South African rules the insurer must make a decision on a funeral claim within two business days after it receives all the documents it requires.

Phone the 24-hour line on 086 117 6925 as soon as the death happens, so the branch can start collecting the deceased while you prepare the paperwork.

Ask Royal for the reason in writing and for the policy clause it relies on. Common reasons for declined funeral claims are waiting periods, unpaid premiums and fraud. A late premium paid within the grace period should not defeat a valid claim. South African rules also say an insurer may not refuse a claim because you left out information it did not specifically ask for when you joined.

If you are not satisfied with the answer, you can complain to the National Financial Ombud Scheme. It is free to use. Phone 0860 800 900, email [email protected] or use the form on nfosa.co.za. Try Royal first, and keep copies of every letter and message.

• Which plan am I on, and exactly what does it include on the day? Get the list in writing.
• Who is covered, up to what age, and what does adding a person cost?
• What is the waiting period for each person, and does it restart if I add someone?
• What will my premium be after the first 12 months, and how is it reviewed?
• Is there a joining fee? Royal does not publish one on its plan pages, so ask before you apply.
• Which optional extras are included in the premium, and which cost extra each month?
• Which branch will handle the funeral, and can it work in the town where we will bury?
• Is the insurer authorised? You can search the FSCA register of financial services providers, and the Prudential Authority publishes a list of licensed insurers.
• Is the benefit always the funeral itself, or is there any cash option? Ask for the answer in writing.