Words: Motlatsi Radebe. Article from June 2015 issue of Bona Magazine.
Funerals, unlike weddings, do not need to be fashionable where the latest decor trends are on display. Focus on the basics to ensure that youre not underfinancial strain afterwards. By Motlatsi Radebe
When Tokoloho Masoeu lost her colleague in a horrific Easter weekend car accident six years ago, she didn’t anticipate the cultural practices that awaited her at the funeral held in Giyani, Limpopo. The funeral service started at exactly 5am, all the women had to cover their heads and the men their shoulders. An elderly gentleman stood at the small gate leading to the graveyard, checking if all in attendance were dressed respectfully for the funeral proceedings.
Back at the deceased’s home, the food was basic – not salted and no salads and any other fancy accompaniments – and everyone ate with their hands. “The moral of the story for me was the fact that funerals needn’t be an exorbitant affair, but we make them so by insisting on hiring a top-of-the- range catering company and setting money aside for the after-tears. All these things go against everything that a funeral stands for in African culture,” explains Tokoloho, who says the incident made her re-evaluate how she allocated funds while planning her late mother’s funeral in 2010.
Almost every black family believes in having funeral cover for those unexpected times when death strikes. With the ever-changing times that we live in, a funeral has become more of a social gathering with its own trends. For instance, it was unheard of for dessert to be served at a funeral or for the venue where the service is held to be heavily decorated with fresh flowers, or for bottled water handed out at the graveyard to be branded with a picture of the deceased. But, in the spirit of keeping up with what’s trendy, companies and coordinators are selling their customers the idea of a glamorous funeral. Of course, for these funeral companies it’s about ensuring that they constantly come up with exciting services in order to keep profits coming in.
Sales and marketing manager at Two Mountains Financial and Burial Services Tumi Motsamai, advises that before deciding to splurge on funeral outfits (which is something black families tend to be obsessed about), there are a few very important details to be remembered. “The most important aspect of a funeral is getting the family to be ready for burial as soon as their loved one is pronounced dead. The correct documentation is of utmost importance, followed by where the funeral will take place (repatriation costs), from then we can safely calculate the amount needed or the package that’s reasonable. For long distance burials, the body will need to be embalmed for the long journey; and for cross-border burials, the body must be declared free of infectious diseases. All these processes may sound simple but they cost money,” explains Motsamai.
Because most funeral businesses are targeted at the black population, you need to be careful when signing up for a policy. We all know a horror story or two where someone thought they had funeral cover, only to find out that it had long been cancelled when they try to claim. Also, there are funeral policies that promise to bury 10 members of your family at a cost of R100 a month. Experts warn that when a cover is too good to be true, it probably is. “The best funeral cover to get will be one where the undertaker covers at least 12 to 15 people in a family. But make sure that you know exactly what you’re signing up for. Ask many questions before you commit to any undertaker. Know exactly what type of service you will be given in the event of death in your family. Does the policy cover repatriation costs? If you lose more than three family members at a go, will they be able to help with the burial plans? Does the company belong to a recognised industry body? If they also offer cash policies, make sure that they comply with the Financial Services Board (FSB),” advises Tumi.
Independent financial planner Muzi Nkambule says he’s noticed a growing trend of people who want to blow all the policy’s payout on the funeral, instead of having leftover money that could be invested for the deceased’s living relatives. “But then again, during such times, money is usually a contested issue; so the rationale is usually to spend it all and have the slips as proof,” he says. The leftover funds could be invested and then used for unveiling the deceased’s tombstone, children’s education or any other pressing financial matter the family may face later.
The following are some of the costs that can be eliminated from your funeral planning and some that should take first preference:
• Even though enlisting the services of a funeral coordinator/ planner will ensure that you mourn your loved one in peace, they usually charge between 10-20% of your whole funeral costs. Rather delegate different tasKS to loyal family members.
• Pay for the most important things first: transportation of the corpse, mortuary costs,
coffin, the grave, hearse, venue, preacher, transport for the public.
• Opt for a simple tent, which you can drape on the inside instead of the trendy stretch tent or an aluminium frame tent.
• If you’re really working on a tight budget, don’t worry about what the neighbours will say – go
the ‘sandwiches’ route. It will cut out a lot of waste; caterers charge anything between R35 000 and R40 000.
• Depending on whether you believe in an after-tears or not, do not set aside money for the occasion.
• Keep the cars and hearse really simple.
• If you do decide to unveil the tombstone on the same day of the funeral, opt for a simple design that won’t attract graveyard thieves.
• Lastly, new clothes should really not feature on your list of funeral priorities. Wanting to be the trendiest mourner makes the funeral seem less important.
Related Content
