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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2025

    Michael Felton | South Africa | 23 December 2025

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2024

    Liz Kneale | South Africa | 27 February 2024

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2022

    Yasmin Mahomedy | South Africa | 28 January 2022

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2020

    Kate Shand | South Africa | 08 May 2020

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2016

    Carole Veitch | South Africa | 22 February 2016

    Report Info

    Report Overview Report Summary Table of Contents
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    Report Coverage

    This report on funeral services and related activities includes information on population and deaths, morgues and mortuaries, burial space, insurance, burial societies, major players and corporate actions. It provides information on revenue, funeral costs, repatriation, enterprise development and opportunities for SMEs, and issues such as fraud and corruption, formalisation and regulation. There are profiles of 23 companies, including notable players such as AVBOB, Doves, Icebolethu, Martin’s Funerals and Mosaic, burial societies such as Tshebedisano Burial Society, crematoriums such as Independent Crematoriums and logistics companies such as Total Funeral Logistics.

    Introduction

    • The funeral industry is supported by steady demand, a growing and ageing population, and cultural and religious significance.
    • Revenue in 2025 was driven by increased deaths, strong uptake of funeral insurance, and growing demand for modern, personalised, and environmentally friendly services.
    • South Africa is considered the fourth most expensive country in the world for funerals.
    • There are an estimated 15,000 funeral parlours and about 75,000 operators, many working informally.
    • Traditional burial is dominant, but more people are exploring cremation and eco-friendly burial options.
    • Cemetery space is becoming critically limited.

    Trends

    • Adoption of digitalisation transformation and technology.
    • Cultural and social shifts to smaller and more affordable funerals.
    • Demand growth linked to urbanisation, demographics and mortality rates.
    • Expanding services beyond funeral logistics, to include emotional/counselling, event planning and financial support services.
    • Expansion of funeral insurance and burial societies.
    • Focus on eco-funerals and sustainability.
    • Growing demand for customised services.
    • Increasing competition and industry consolidation.
    • Increasing demand for cross-border repatriations.
    • Push for formalisation and regulation.
    • Shift to hybrid funerals adapting traditional/religious with modern services.
    • Shift toward cremation and alternative burial methods.
    • Vertical integration by formal companies.

    Opportunities

    •  Data, research and industry compliance services.
    •  Public-private partnerships.
    • Counselling and post-funeral support services.
    • Cremation and alternative options.
    • Digital transformation and technology services.
    • Funeral company fleet services.
    • Funeral goods manufacture.
    • Funeral insurance partnerships.
    • Funeral services franchising.
    • Green and eco-friendly funerals.
    • Low-cost, affordable and budget funeral services.
    • Mortuary infrastructure and mobile mortuary services.
    • Repatriation and cross-border transport services.
    • Training, skills development and professionalisation.

    Challenges

    • Burial space, capacity and infrastructure constraints.
    • Competitive and saturated market.
    • Cultural and religious sensitivities.
    • Dependence on funeral insurance.
    • Funeral costs and affordability challenges.
    • Infrastructure pressures.
    • Insurance policy lapses and fraud.
    • Logistics burdens and increasing transport costs.
    • Non-compliance of informal operators
    • Prevalence of fraudulent undertakers and lack of transparency.
    • Regulatory fragmentation and poor enforcement.
    • Reputational and trust issues.
    • Shortage of labour/professional skills.

    Outlook

    • The outlook is positive, with growth driven by demand, changing consumer preferences and technological adoption.
    • Ongoing challenges include a high number of unregulated operators and issues with insurance policies.
    • Municipal services challenges are creating opportunities for private companies to establish memorial parks and other services.
    • Declining burial space is leading to growth in cremation rates.
    • The large number of informal and unregulated operators has led to calls for stronger regulation.
    • The funeral insurance sector is plagued by high lapse rates and fraud.

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa
    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2025

    Full Report

    R 20 000.00(ZAR) estimated $1254.36 (USD)*

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    Industry Landscape

    R 14 000.00(ZAR) estimated $ 878.05 (USD)*

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    Industry Organograms

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    Historical Reports

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2024-02-27

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $595.82 (USD)*

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2022-01-28

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2020-05-08

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2016-02-22

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

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    Table of Contents

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    PAGE
    0
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 4
    2.2. Geographic Position 5
    2.3. Size of the Industry 7
    3. LOCAL 16
    3.1. State of the Industry 16
    3.2. Key Trends 22
    3.3. Key Issues 22
    3.4. Notable Players 23
    3.5. Corporate Actions 27
    3.6. Regulations 28
    3.7. Enterprise Development and Social Development 29
    4. AFRICA 31
    5. INTERNATIONAL 36
    6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 44
    6.1. Unforeseen Events 44
    6.2. Economic Environment 45
    6.3. Labour 46
    6.4. Funeral Insurance 48
    6.5. Religious and Cultural Practices 48
    6.6. Government 50
    6.7. Environmental Issues 51
    6.8. Technology, R&D and Innovation 52
    6.9. Input Costs 53
    7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 55
    7.1. Competition 55
    7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry 56
    7.3. Barriers to Entry 57
    8. INDUSTRY SUMMARY 58
    9. OUTLOOK 59
    10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 60
    11. REFERENCES 60
    11.1. Publications 60
    11.2. Websites 62
    ANNEXURE 1 64
    Industry Legislation and Regulations 64
    APPENDIX 1 69
    Summary Of Notable Players 69
    COMPANY PROFILES 76
    21ST CENTURY FUNERAL SERVICE (DURBAN) (PTY) LTD 76
    21ST CENTURY LIFE (PTY) LTD 78
    AVBOB (BEGRAFNISDIENS) LTD 80
    BATHO BATSHO BAKOPANE FUNERAL SERVICES S A (PTY) LTD 82
    CALGRO M3 MEMORIAL PARKS HOLDING (PTY) LTD 85
    DOVES GROUP (PTY) LTD 87
    ECONO FUNERALS (PTY) LTD 91
    GROUP BURIAL ASSOCIATION 93
    ICEBOLETHU GROUP (PTY) LTD 94
    INDEPENDENT CREMATORIUMS S A (PTY) LTD 97
    LEGACY PET CREMATORIUM (PTY) LTD 99
    MARTIN'S FUNERALS FRANCHISING (PTY) LTD 101
    MOSAIC FUNERAL GROUP OF COMPANIES (PTY) LTD 104
    PRESERVE COMPANY (PTY) LTD (THE) 107
    ROYAL FUNERAL GROUP (PTY) LTD 108
    SONJA SMITH FUNERAL GROUP (PTY) LTD 110
    STATUS FUNERALS INTERNATIONAL (PTY) LTD 112
    THOM KIGHT AND COMPANY (PTY) LTD 114
    TOTAL FUNERAL LOGISTICS (PTY) LTD 115
    TSHEBEDISANO BURIAL SOCIETY (PTY) LTD 117
    TSHIPI-NOTO FUNERAL HOMES (PTY) LTD 119
    TWO MOUNTAIN BURIAL SERVICES (PTY) LTD 121
    VER GROUP HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD 123

    Report Coverage

    This report focuses on the funeral services and related activities sector in South Africa. It includes information on the state of the industry, costs and requirements of funerals and for operating a funeral business, challenges at cemeteries and state mortuaries and the increase in cremations and other types of burial and body disposal. It includes influencing factors and issues such as religious and cultural practices and environmental impacts. There are profiles of 22 companies including major players such as AVBOB, Doves, Martin’s Funerals and Icebolethu, transport and repatriation companies such as Total Funeral Logistics, memorial parks developer Calgro M3, crematoriums such as Independent Crematoriums SA and associations such as the Group Burial Association.

    Introduction

    • A 2020 global research study identified South Africa as the fourth most expensive country in terms of funeral costs, which were 3% above the global average.
    • Funerals can range from a basic casket and service for R10,000 to an extravagant R1m personalised themed service.
    • The choice of in-ground burial, cremation and eco-friendly options is determined by individual preference, religion, culture, tradition, costs and environmental footprint.
    • The industry consists of a few large companies, with the bulk made up of small informal businesses serving local communities, many of which do not have certificates of competence.
    • The industry is affected by the shortage of cemetery space and reported poor cemetery management and unreliable and non-compliant service provided by some crematoriums and mortuaries.

    Trends

    • A growing diversity of options and rituals from traditional burial to cremation and eco-friendly options.
    • Increased customer demand for green burials.
    • Move from rigid traditional religious or cultural traditions to a more personalised approach.
    • Rise in popularity of environment-friendly operations and management.
    • Steady increase in cremation.
    • Use of technology to provide online funeral planning and management and create personalised memorial experiences. Virtual funeral services enable remote attendance.
    • Vertical integration to control all aspects of the death and bereavement process to maximise profitability.

    Opportunities

    • Challenges experienced by municipalities open up opportunities for private sector establishment of memorial parks.
    • Customer demand for alternative funeral options.
    • Government tenders for funeral and body removal services.
    • Opportunities for SMEs to provide related services.

    Challenges

    • A highly competitive and largely unregulated industry with formal businesses under pressure from informal, often illegal, operators.
    • Customer demand for personalised and customised funeral services.
    • Electricity supply constraints.
    • Flexibility to accommodate diverse cultural and religious practices.
    • High number of funeral insurance policy lapses.
    • High number of unclaimed bodies at state pathology mortuaries.
    • High rate of funeral insurance fraud.
    • Maintain the balance between modern trends and preserving cultural traditions.
    • Shortage of burial space.
    • The high cost of funerals.
    • The impact on funeral parlours of some unreliable and non-compliant operators in other parts of the value chain, such as cemeteries, crematoriums and mortuaries
    • The intention of the public works and infrastructure department to procure its own furniture, equipment and supplies to avoid using external service providers for state funerals.

    Outlook

    • There are an increasing number of funeral and burial options available.
    • Funeral homes must meet the changing needs and behaviour of customers, such as requests for environmentally-friendly services and digitisation.
    • Globally, cremations have significantly surpassed burials, and growth is projected to continue.
    • The main challenge is striking balance between spiritual, religious and cultural practices and the present and future availability of land for cemeteries.
    • Although various alternative burial methods are available, the uptake and availability of these facilities is relatively low.
    • The South African Funeral Practitioners Association has called on government to regulate the funeral services sector.

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa
    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2024

    Full Report

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $595.82 (USD)*

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    Industry Landscape

    R 6 650.00(ZAR) estimated $ 417.07 (USD)*

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    Industry Organogram

    R 450.00(ZAR) estimated $ 28.22 (USD)*

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    Historical Reports

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2025-12-23

    R 20 000.00(ZAR) estimated $1254.36 (USD)*

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2022-01-28

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2020-05-08

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2016-02-22

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 5
    2.2. Geographic Position 7
    2.3. Size of the Industry 8
    3. LOCAL 11
    3.1. State of the Industry 11
    3.2. Key Trends 19
    3.3. Key Issues 19
    3.4. Notable Players 20
    3.5. Regulations 22
    3.6. Enterprise Development and Social Development 24
    4. AFRICA 26
    5. INTERNATIONAL 28
    6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 32
    6.1. Unforeseen Events 32
    6.2. Economic Environment 32
    6.3. Labour 33
    6.4. Funeral Insurance Cover 34
    6.5. Religious and Cultural Practices 38
    6.6. Environmental Issues 40
    6.7. Government Tenders for Funeral and Body Removal Services 42
    6.8. Technology, R&D, Innovation 43
    6.9. Electricity Supply Constraints 44
    7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 45
    7.1. Competition 45
    7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry 46
    7.3. Barriers to Entry 46
    8. INDUSTRY SUMMARY 47
    9. OUTLOOK 48
    10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 49
    11. REFERENCES 49
    11.1. Publications 49
    11.2. Websites 50
    APPENDIX 1 - Summary of Notable Players 51
    APPENDIX 2 – Relevant Legislation 60
    COMPANY PROFILES 65
    21st Century Life (Pty) Ltd 65
    AVBOB (Begrafnisdiens) Ltd 68
    Batho Batsho Bakopane Funeral Services S A (Pty) Ltd 70
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks Bloemfontein (Pty) Ltd 72
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks Holding (Pty) Ltd 73
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks Nasrec (Pty) Ltd 75
    Celebration of Life Funeral and Cremation Services (Pty) Ltd 77
    Doves Group (Pty) Ltd 78
    Econo Funerals (Pty) Ltd 81
    Group Burial Association 83
    Icebolethu Group (Pty) Ltd 84
    Independent Crematoriums S A (Pty) Ltd 87
    Legacy Pet Crematorium (Pty) Ltd 89
    Martin's Funerals Franchising (Pty) Ltd 91
    Mosaic Funeral Group of Companies (Pty) Ltd 93
    Sonja Smith Funeral Group (Pty) Ltd 94
    Thom Kight and Company (Pty) Ltd 96
    Total Funeral Logistics (Pty) Ltd 97
    Tshebedisano Burial Society (Pty) Ltd 98
    Tshipi-Noto Funeral Homes (Pty) Ltd 100
    Two Mountain Burial Services (Pty) Ltd 101
    Ver Group Holdings (Pty) Ltd 103

    Report Coverage

    This report focuses on the funeral services industry and related services in South Africa. It includes information on the effects of the pandemic on the industry, developments, notable players and key trends. There are profiles of 17 companies including major players such as AVBOB, Doves and Mosaic Funerals, burial societies such as Tshebedisano Burial Society And Calgro M3, which develops memorial parks.

    Introduction

    This report focuses on the funeral services industry in South Africa, which generates revenue of about R10bn per annum, and has been growing at around 12% annually. Statistics show the average death rate from 2009 to 2019 was 9.5 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. According to the South African Medical Research Council’s website, there were 704,823 deaths in 2021, and the National Population Register shows there were 493,602 deaths in 2020, 441,996 in 2019, and 443,490 in 2018. While the pandemic demonstrated that undertakers and funeral parlours play critical roles in society, it also highlighted the challenges facing small funeral services operators. Department of Health regulations require anyone handling the body of someone who died of COVID-19 to wear personal protective clothing. This resulted in extra financial costs for many small undertakers, who also do not have resources to stock up on coffins to cater for high demand. A challenge in the industry is the growing demand for burial space, which role players say needs to be addressed urgently. South Africa’s population is growing at about 1% per annum and data from the United Nations shows expected growth from just over 60 million in 2021, to between 65 and 67 million people by 2030.

    Strengths

    • Demand is ongoing.
    • Growing industry.
    • Strong demand at private memorial parks.
    • There is a high level of black ownership.

    Weaknesses

    • Cost of funerals is increasing.
    • Increasing unemployment resulting in fewer people being able to afford funeral policies.
    • Informal market offers low cost funeral services, often without complying with regulations.
    • Many workers have no formal training.
    • Regulations are set by various national departments but implemented at local level.
    • Shortage of burial space.
    • Shortage of materials to make coffins and caskets.

    Opportunities

    • Formalisation of the informal funeral services sector.
    • Green funerals and eco-cemeteries.
    • The development of alternative methods of body disposal such as aquamation cremation.

    Threats

    • Banks, retailers, and other service providers are selling funeral policies.
    • Increase in number of unregulated informal funeral service providers.
    • Non-compliance with occupational health and safety hazards.
    • The shortage of available burial land.

    Outlook

    The funeral services industry is expected to continue growing due to population growth. However, the increasing cost of living is expected to place further pressure on already financially-strained consumers, who may opt for lower cost funerals. MiWayLife, said that while the pandemic led to changes in how funerals are carried out, it has also introduced a new normal of fewer people attending, and cutting back the time and need for lengthy preparations, that could help grieving families cut back on costs and lengthy funeral preparation. Funeral parlours can benefit by offering live streaming funeral services, funeral pre-planning services, competitively priced packages, digital marketing, and investing in green burials. AVBOB general manager Pieter van der Westhuizen said “We must keep on investing in technology. The pandemic is a disruptor, and businesses that are only dependent on physical infrastructure and distribution channels will find it difficult to compete in the future. I firmly believe that a hybrid of face-to-face selling and using technology is the future.”

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa
    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2022

    Full Report

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Industry Landscape

    R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 83.41 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Industry Organogram

    R 450.00(ZAR) estimated $ 28.22 (USD)*

    Buy Now Add to Cart

    Historical Reports

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2025-12-23

    R 20 000.00(ZAR) estimated $1254.36 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2024-02-27

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $595.82 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2020-05-08

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2016-02-22

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 5
    2.2. Geographic Position 6
    2.3. Size of the Industry 7
    2.4. Key Success Factors and Pain Points 10
    3. LOCAL 10
    3.1. Key Trends 16
    3.2. Notable Players 17
    3.3. Corporate Actions 18
    3.4. Regulations 19
    3.5. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 22
    4. AFRICA 23
    5. INTERNATIONAL 24
    6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 26
    6.1. COVID -19 26
    6.2. Economic Environment 27
    6.3. Labour 28
    6.4. Environmental Issues 30
    6.5. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 31
    6.6. Load Shedding 31
    6.7. Input Costs 31
    6.8. Government Tenders 33
    7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 34
    7.1. Competition 34
    7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry 35
    7.3 Barriers to Entry 35
    8. SWOT ANALYSIS 36
    9. OUTLOOK 37
    10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 37
    11. REFERENCES 38
    10.1. Publications 38
    10.2. Websites 38
    APPENDIX 1 39
    Summary of Notable Players 39
    COMPANY PROFILES 46
    21st Century Life (Pty) Ltd 46
    AVBOB (Begrafnisdiens) Ltd 49
    Batho Batsho Bakopane Funeral Services S A (Pty) Ltd 59
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks Bloemfontein (Pty) Ltd 62
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks Holding (Pty) Ltd 64
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks Nasrec (Pty) Ltd 66
    Doves Group (Pty) Ltd 68
    Econo Funerals (Pty) Ltd 72
    Grobbelaars and Church Street Funeral Services (Pty) Ltd 74
    Group Burial Association 76
    Icebolethu Group (Pty) Ltd 78
    Independent Crematoriums S A (Pty) Ltd 81
    Legacy Pet Crematorium (Pty) Ltd 83
    Martin's Funerals Franchising (Pty) Ltd 85
    Mosaic Funeral Group of Companies (Pty) Ltd 88
    Sonja Smith Funeral Group (Pty) Ltd 90
    Tshebedisano Burial Society CC 92

    Report Coverage

    This report focuses on South Africa’s funeral services industry, including information on the size and state of the sector, the major players and the effect of issues such as the lack of oversight and coronavirus on the industry. There are profiles of 16 companies including the major players as well as Calgro M3, whose business includes private burial services and memorial parks, crematoriums such as Independent Crematoriums, burial societies such as Tshebedisano and Group Burial Association, and companies that cater for pets such as Legacy Pet Crematorium.

    Introduction

    This report focuses on South Africa’s funeral services industry. South African municipalities have limited allocated cemetery space and there will be a shortage of approximately eight million graves over the next 15 years, given current mortality rates. At the peak of the HIV crisis in 2006, the number of recorded deaths was 672,371. By 2018, the annual death rate had dropped to 522,157 recorded deaths. Although the country’s mortality rate is decreasing from 9.520 deaths per 1,000 people in 2018 to 9.494 in 2019, funerals are still big business. About half a million funerals take place each year at an estimated value of R10bn. The cost of a standard funeral is about R10,000, but funerals can cost significantly more than this. The funeral industry includes funeral undertakers and mortuaries, cemeteries and crematoriums, manufacturers of funeral products, transporters of human remains, suppliers of funeral goods, embalmers, and funeral directors. A number of funeral homes also sell funeral policies, but the sale of these products is not the focus of this report as this activity falls under the insurance sector. Due to coronavirus, there are currently strict regulations in place for funerals. South Africans can travel to other provinces for funerals, but they will have to obtain a permit and be a close family member of the deceased. The maximum number of people who can attend a funeral is 50 and the holding of night vigils is prohibited. There are also new requirements for handling bodies of people who were infected with the virus.

    Strengths

    • A relatively high percentage of the population has either formal or informal funeral cover.
    • The funeral ritual has huge cultural significance and is viewed as a major event in most local communities.
    • The local funeral sector is characterised by a high level of transformation.

    Weaknesses

    • A significant proportion of workers have no formal training.
    • and corruption is rife.
    • Lack of compliance leaves consumers unprotected and exploited.
    • Lack of reliable statistics as the sector is has a high level of informality and a great number of service providers are unregistered.
    • The industry is not adequately regulated
    • The regulatory framework is not coherent and is set by various national departments but ultimately implemented at local level.
    • Workers are not unionised and have no protection.

    Opportunities

    • Expansion into African markets, where penetration remains at a low level.
    • Formalisation of the informal funeral services sector.
    • Green funerals and eco-cemeteries.
    • Increase in requests for luxury funerals.
    • One grave per family.
    • The development of alternative methods of body disposal, such as flameless cremation.
    • The development of memorial parks and private cemeteries.
    • The development of multi-level above-ground, as well as subterranean burial facilities.
    • Themed funerals, destination funerals and live streaming of funerals.

    Threats

    • A decline in the mortality rate.
    • Coronavirus.
    • Corruption and criminal activity, including identity theft, bribes, the sale and ransoming of corpses, life insurance fraud and illegal burials.
    • Non-compliance with occupational health and safety hazards.
    • The Mafia-style involvement in the funeral industry of a growing number of minibus taxi operators who seek to control transport routes.
    • The proliferation of unregulated informal funeral service providers.
    • The shortage of available burial land.

    Outlook

    The looming depression and coronavirus have made the world an unpredictable place. It is hard to imagine what the impacts will be on our economy and its industries. Certainly, in the short-term, funerals will not bring in the income they previously did from large gatherings and catering. As there are a large number of unregulated and informal funeral service providers, there is some concern whether they will handle infected bodies correctly. The average South African is living longer and due to the ARV roll-out, the country’s mortality rate is declining. These factors may affect the industry in the short and medium-term. This may change depending on the severity of the coronavirus pandemic. Cobus Combrink of Econo Funerals said that “more unequipped, untrained people are entering the industry” daily because there are no regulations. Industry players continue to diversify their business activities into long-term insurance, manufacturing and sale of funeral products, as well as development of private cemeteries and memorial parks. Local authorities have to address the shortage of land for graveyards.

    Read More..
    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa
    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2020

    Full Report

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Industry Landscape

    R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 83.41 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Historical Reports

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2025-12-23

    R 20 000.00(ZAR) estimated $1254.36 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2024-02-27

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $595.82 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2022-01-28

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2016-02-22

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $119.16 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 3
    2.2. Geographic Position 5
    3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 6
    4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 8
    4.1. Local 8
    4.1.1. Corporate Actions 12
    4.1.2. Regulations 13
    4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development 16
    4.2. Continental 17
    4.3. International 18
    5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 20
    5.1. Economic Environment 20
    5.2. Input Costs 20
    5.3. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 20
    5.4. Labour 21
    5.5. Environmental Concerns 22
    5.6. Load Shedding 24
    5.7. Service Delivery by Local Government 24
    5.8. Coronavirus 24
    6. COMPETITION 26
    6.1. Barriers to Entry 27
    7. SWOT ANALYSIS 28
    8. OUTLOOK 29
    9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 29
    10. REFERENCES 30
    10.1. Publications 30
    10.2. Websites 30
    APPENDIX 1 31
    Summary of Notable players 31
    COMPANY PROFILES 36
    21ST CENTURY LIFE (PTY) LTD 36
    AVBOB (BEGRAFNISDIENS) LTD 38
    BATHO BATSHO BAKOPANE FUNERAL SERVICES S A (PTY) LTD 47
    CALGRO M3 MEMORIAL PARKS BLOEMFONTEIN (PTY) LTD 50
    CALGRO M3 MEMORIAL PARKS HOLDING (PTY) LTD 51
    CALGRO M3 MEMORIAL PARKS NASREC (PTY) LTD 53
    DOVES GROUP (PTY) LTD 55
    ECONO FUNERALS CC 59
    GROBBELAARS AND CHURCH STREET FUNERAL SERVICES (PTY) LTD 61
    GROUP BURIAL ASSOCIATION 62
    INDEPENDENT CREMATORIUMS S A (PTY) LTD 63
    LEGACY PET CREMATORIUM (PTY) LTD 65
    MARTIN'S FUNERALS FRANCHISING (PTY) LTD 67
    MOSAIC FUNERAL GROUP OF COMPANIES (PTY) LTD 69
    SONJA SMITH FUNERAL GROUP (PTY) LTD 71
    TSHEBEDISANO BURIAL SOCIETY CC 73

    Report Coverage

    The Funeral Services and Related Activities report describes current conditions, recent developments including innovations in light of the increasing shortage of land, and factors influencing the success of the sector. The report profiles 14 companies operational in the formal market, including the AVBOB Group, the Doves Group (Pty) Ltd, and franchisors, Martin’s Funerals Franchising (Pty) Ltd and 21st Century Life (Pty) Ltd. Also profiled are Batho Batsho Bakopane Funeral Services SA (Pty) Ltd t/a B3 Funeral Services which operates locally and in Swaziland, and the Independent Crematoriums of South Africa (ICSA), which operate 12 of the country’s 25 crematoriums.

    Introduction

    This report focuses on South Africa’s thriving funeral services industry. With the country’s mortality rate ranking amongst the highest in the world, the fiercely competitive local death care industry generates between R7.5bn and R10bn in revenue each year. The scope of this report includes services such as the preparation of the deceased’s body, the burial and cremation of human and animal remains, as well as related activities such as the rental and sale of grave sites, as well as the upkeep and maintenance of graves and mausoleums. While a number of funeral services providers also sell funeral and life insurance policies, the sale of these products is not the focus of this report as such activity falls under the Long-term Insurance sector.

    Strengths

    • A relatively high percentage of the population has either formal or informal funeral cover.
    • The funeral ritual has huge cultural significance and is viewed as a major event in most local communities.
    • The local funeral sector is characterised by a high level of transformation.

    Weaknesses

    • A significant proportion of workers have no formal training.
    • As the sector is characterised by a high level of informality and a great number of service providers are unregistered, reliable industry statistics are not available.
    • The industry is not adequately regulated and corruption is rife.

    Opportunities

    • Expansion into African markets, where penetration remains at a low level.
    • Formalisation of the informal funeral services sector.
    • The development o multi-level above-ground, as well as subterranean burial facilities.
    • The development of alternative methods of body disposal, such as Flameless Cremation.
    • The development of Memorial Parks.
    • Themed funerals, destination funerals, as well as live streaming of funerals.
    • ‘Green funerals’ and Eco-cemeteries.

    Threats

    • A decline in the mortality rate.
    • Corruption and criminal activity, including identity theft, the ‘bribe’ chain, the sale and ransoming of corpses, life insurance fraud and illegal burials.
    • Non-compliance with occupational health and safety hazards.
    • The Mafia-style involvement in the funeral industry of a growing number of minibus taxi operators who seek to control transport routes.
    • The proliferation of unregulated informal funeral service providers.
    • The shortage of available burial land, particularly in the urban areas of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

    Outlook

    Given that death is one of the few certainties in life, it is generally accepted that there will always be unwavering demand for the services offered by funeral parlours. However, with the average South African now expected to live longer, the country’s mortality rate is showing signs of slowing. While this is excellent news for South Africa, some analysts say that improved longevity will have a negative impact on the local death care industry in the short and medium-term. Many stakeholders warn that the declining death rate may result in heightened levels of localised competitiveness from informal and illegal operators. They further predict that the funeral industry’s established players will continue to diversify their business interests into activities such as long-term insurance, the manufacture and sale of funeral wares, as well as the development of private cemeteries and memorial parks. With the shortage of urban in-ground burial space in South Africa remaining a matter of concern, some analysts warn that if a crisis is to be averted, local authorities will need to address the critical challenges facing the country’s funeral services industry.

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    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa
    Funeral Services and Related Activities Industry in South Africa 2016

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Value Chain 3
    2.2. Geographic Position 5
    3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 5
    4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 12
    4.1. Local 12
    4.1.1. Corporate Actions 15
    4.1.2. Regulations 15
    4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development Initiatives 18
    4.2. Continental 19
    4.3. International 20
    5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 22
    5.1. Economic Environment 22
    5.2. Government Intervention 23
    5.3. Informality and Illegal Practices 23
    5.4. Life Expectancy 23
    5.5. Input Costs 24
    5.6. Environmental Concerns 25
    5.7. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 26
    5.8. Labour Resources 28
    5.9. Cyclicality 30
    6. COMPETITION 30
    6.1. Barriers to Entry 30
    7. SWOT ANALYSIS 31
    8. OUTLOOK 32
    9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 33
    10. REFERENCES 33
    10.1. Publications 33
    10.2. Websites 34
    COMPANY PROFILES 36
    21st Century Life (Pty) Ltd 36
    Avalon Memoriam BFN (Pty) Ltd 39
    AVBOB (Begrafnisdiens) Ltd 40
    Batho Batsho Bakopane Funeral Services SA (Pty) Ltd 50
    Calgro M3 Memorial Parks (Pty) Ltd 53
    Doves Group (Pty) Ltd 54
    Durbanville Memorial Park (Pty) Ltd 57
    Fourways Memorial Park CC 58
    Independent Crematoriums SA (Pty) Ltd 59
    Legacy Parks (Pty) Ltd 61
    Legacy Pet Crematorium (Pty) Ltd 62
    Martin's Funeral Franchising (Pty) Ltd 63
    Sonja Smith Funeral Group (Pty) Ltd 65
    Tshebedisano Burial Society CC 67

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