In recent years we have seen the introduction of additional funeral cover top up plans, some of the most popular ones are; Funeral Catering, Livestock , Courtesy Car, Tombstone Plan and Groceries.
You might be wondering, is it necessary to take an additional plan on top of the burial packages that are offered by most funeral services providers. Well, based on our experience it fully depends on the family and their customs. What we have learnt over the years is that most families, who plan a funeral for the first time, are usually surprised by the high costs of catering especially for African funerals.
Cultural norms also play a significant factor, where you find that for certain tribes livestock is required to conduct funeral rituals. The cost of livestock whether it be a cow, goats or sheep is constantly increasing, so if this is something that the family would need in order to conduct a burial it is better to plan ahead.
Unveilings tend to be a norm in African families, especially for parents and key family members. Planning ahead for this need helps to ease the pressure of raising the funds to purchase a tombstone for an honouring memorial.
So to answer the question more directly – your need for a top up funeral cover will depend on your family’s needs. So discuss the following with your family;
- How many people will we need to cater for should any family member pass away, and can we afford the catering costs without additional cover?
- Are there any rituals that will require livestock, and can we afford the costs out of pocket?
- Which family member will need a tombstone? How will we fund the cost?
- What additional convenience such as a courtesy car, would we need for burial planning?
Answering the above questions as openly and honestly as possible will assist you and your family to plan ahead, and take up the additional covers that you REALLY need.
Legae Communications Team
