Johannesburg - Keen on being buried in a Merc?
Or how about a tombstone designed to look like a house – complete with a stoep and all?
Harley Davidson hearse, anyone?
The emergence of new trends always seems to follow big events – regardless of whether these events are positive or traumatic in nature.
The Covid-19 pandemic, forced many people to confront their worst fears around losing loved ones and as a result, ‘funeral fever’ has taken hold across the globe.
In a country like South Africa, various cultural expectations dictate that one’s status in life is closely associated with the degree of pomp and circumstance surrounding their death.
Funerals have always been big business.
As a result, we're now seeing a wave of outlandish funeral trends - from the quirky to the downright macabre.
Senior Business Analyst at Metropolitan GetUp, Diamante Gaokgorwe, questions whether a lavish and costly funeral is really the best way of honouring a loved one… or whether that money might be put to better use by leaving a legacy?
South Africans are splashing out on outlandish and extravagant burials as funeral fever hits – but are we making a grave mistake?
“People don’t tend to think or focus on the issue we are facing as a country in terms of widespread financial hardship.
“People are not thinking about the big picture and ultimately, the goal is to have a loving send-off for their loved one.
“We also need to adhere to the regulations we have in place – that the size of a grave allocated to one person should be a certain dimension and ensure that entities that run and maintain grave sites adhere to this.
“There are municipalities that have these laws in place, the question is – are these laws and regulations adhered to?” she asked.
SA’s funeral industry sees an annual growth of approximately 12% and generates around R10 billion per year.
Research showed households will spend the equivalent of a year’s income on an adult funeral, on average.
Gaokgorwe said in many South African families and cultures, there has always existed a ‘blueprint’ for how funerals should be conducted.
These unwritten rules might include a top-of-the-range casket, hired marquee set-up and chairs, abundant catering and brand new attire for the deceased’s entire family.
But in recent times, funerals have become even more of an occasion.
“Using a funeral as a vehicle to showcase your creativity or to demonstrate your social standing is becoming the norm.
“On top of the existing, unwritten code around what is expected when someone passes away, we’re now seeing families escorted to funerals in luxury vehicles; eccentric and extravagant tombstones; and even the hiring of high-profile choirs and musicians to perform at funeral processions,” she added.
There is a rise in themed funerals, with pop culture and certain events such as Christmas and sports games all serving as inspiration. We’re also seeing some unusual accessories with one recent Twitter post showing a tombstone designed to look like a house – complete with sliding door, roof and stoep.
“It seems that we’re also being more creative when it comes to casket transportation, with unusual modes such as a horse, fire truck and even Harley Davidson replacing the traditional hearse. We’ve also seen families bury their loved ones inside high-end cars, such as a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, presumably so the deceased can arrive at the afterlife in style,” she said.
Those deceased can also be rest assured of looking good: one fashion graduate, Jingle Yu, designed a collection called “Die Fabulously”, which aims to tackle the idea that "dead people should be silent and unfashionable".
“South Africans face a great deal of financial strain, and the pressure of a lavish affair only adds to this burden. There are other, creative and meaningful ways of honouring the deceased. For example, if they were passionate about a specific charitable cause, one can donate a portion of the money that would have been spent on the funeral towards that charity, or even get their friends and family involved in volunteering,” Gaokgorwe said.
She advised families to consider that perhaps the person that passed away had a legacy in mind – in this case, some of this money could be invested in their child’s education or even local sporting teams.
“We’ve seen funerals cost anywhere between R20 000 – R120 000.
“But depending on the lavishness of the funeral, the sky’s the limit.
“Outside the funeral costs, to have a tombstone that resembles a house with sliding doors and a stoep, one needs to look at building costs, which will be costly.
“A family can spend any amount close to R100 000 to R120 000 for this type of tombstone, which is very high,” she concluded.