With flashy funerals come unusual requests
Cape Town - Funerals are becoming more lavish than weddings.
According to funeral undertakers in the Western Cape, mourners are coughing up as much as R150 000 to lay their loved ones to rest, and caskets can cost close to R50 000.
And with the flashy funerals come unusual requests, from taxidermied animals to bottles of wines and make-up and hair designs of the deceased - and themed funerals which can include red carpets and backdrops.
Sheldon and Aleric Solomon, of the Fern Funeral family, have been in the business for close to three decades and they have heard it and seen it all.
They are among the few undertakers in the Western Cape who are now manufacturing their own coffins.
In just over a year, they have taken coffin manufacturing to another level, creating personalised coffins using various designs.
Sheldon said different families made various requests, some retaining the money or others sparing no expense.
They now have the wing-hearse, which was seen on one of the first occasions at the funeral of former Hard Livings gang boss, Rashied Staggie, in 2019.
“Funerals are becoming more expensive than weddings and people are even competing with one another,” said Sheldon.
“We did a funeral a year ago for R150 000 and one of R85 000 a month ago. The entry level coffin is R2 500 and average funeral is R8 500.
“Our most expensive coffin is a coffin which is made of steel and satin inside with pillows and it seals closed and it costs R45 000. You do get coffins which are over R100 000.”
Aleric, who specialises in coffin making, described the themed coffin range which can have any design from the LGBT rainbow flag to Disney characters.
He added that because of the shortage of coffins during the Covid-19 pandemic, they saw a gap in the market.
“Themed coffins, if you loved Spider-man or TikTok or even the Bokke, then that can be painted and designed for your loved one.”
Sheldon added it was adding an extra personal touch to funerals: “It’s the same concept that is seen in parties with the themes.
“Children’s coffin’s are always sensitive and there can be a request for any Disney character or specifications. There is the red carpet being laid out with all of the frills.
“The wing-hearse can cost you about R9 500 and usually the vehicles and the coffin makes your funeral more expensive, depending on what is chosen.
“We no longer have the bus on our funeral listing and people are using far fewer cars for funerals today.
“People will spare no expense if it is for their loved one, for example their father or mother, it is the last send off, the final goodbye.
“They want that presidential touch. The doves and the stands and the flowers and the tents.”
Both Sheldon and Aleric are embalmers and Aleric also does exhumations.
He said he often got requests for bodies to be moved after a funeral: “For example, if the family wanted the son to be buried with the father, but there was no availability at the time of the funeral, they would do an exhumation.
“I have done an exhumation where there are just bones, then there is a cremation or a new burial.”
Sheldon said the strict rule for undertakers was not to cut any hair of the deceased unless requested to do so.
“Some people bring in barbers or hairdressers and even make-up artists because they want that person to be remembered the way he or she was.”
He added that they had seen some unusual requests but some respectfully for tradition or religious purposes: “During one cremation, the eldest son had to set the father’s face alight and close the lid of the coffin and then it goes for cremation, this is a cultural and religious thing.
“At another, they requested a skunk of a taxidermist to be placed on the chest of the person and one where they had the hookah pipe lit on top of the coffin, even with the person’s favourite flavour.
“Cellphones which are fully charged with data and airtime and cigarettes or wine are placed into coffins.”
Deuden Plaatjies, of Rest A Sure Funerals & Cremations, said the funeral business had evolved and become pricey because various factors.
“I have had a selection of funerals reaching between R70 000 to R90 000 where all the stops are being pulled out,” he said.
“The wing-hearse, Range Rover Sport is R13 000 for the funeral.
“This depends on the package that you have.
“I would not say that funerals have become lavish but more expensive, people in former years chose cremation because they were a cheaper option, but now we are paying extra for things when it comes to cremation, to the doctor, documentation and crematorium.
“People want to give a decent send off.”