Clientele has sold funeral cover on South African television for decades, and its product documents are unusually explicit, which makes this one of the easier policies in the market to evaluate honestly. Here is what the fine print actually says.
FuneralCosts is independent and has no affiliation with Clientele. Facts come from Clientele's published product pages and terms as checked in July 2026; confirm current terms before buying. This is general information, not financial advice.
The product at a glance
| Clientele Funeral Dignity Plan | |
|---|---|
| Cover amount | Up to R50,000 individual cover |
| Family size | Up to 13 people: main member, spouse, 3 children, 8 other family |
| Waiting period | 6 months natural causes, full benefit from month 7; accidents immediate |
| Extra benefits | R3,000 grocery, R2,000 unveiling, R200 airtime |
| Claims | Advertised payout within 24 hours of valid documents |
| Premiums | Published from R370 per month (Ultimate plan from R435) |
| Insurer | Clientele Life Assurance Company Limited, licensed life insurer, FSP 15268 |
The fine print, in plain terms
- The waiting period is exactly as the law allows: nothing for natural-cause deaths in months one to six, everything from month seven. Accidental death is covered from day one, and Clientele's terms even cover accidents for up to 45 days between applying and the policy commencing, which is more generous than most.
- Switching credit is written into the terms. If you had another active policy with similar benefits in the past 31 days, the waiting period is measured from that older policy's start date. That is your legal right when switching; see how to switch without losing cover.
- The double accident benefit has an age schedule. The main member's accidental death benefit (up to R100,000) halves from age 76 and ends at 80. If you are buying primarily for an older person, that benefit is worth less than the brochure suggests.
- Entry ages: main member 18 to 70, other insured lives up to 80, children under 18 (up to 21 for registered students).
- It pays cash, not funerals. Clientele's terms are explicit that it does not pay for specific funeral arrangements; the tax-free lump sum lands in the beneficiary's account, advertised within 24 hours of complete documents.
The two plans, and what the difference buys
The Ultimate Dignity Plan (from R435) adds the Premium Pay Back Benefit to the standard plan (from R370): all premiums back on a valid death claim, and half your premiums back in cash at 65. Pay-back benefits are effectively a savings component bolted onto insurance; price the gap between the plans against what the same monthly difference would earn in a plain savings account before choosing the fancier one.
What to check before you sign
- Compare the from-price fairly. R370 per month sounds expensive next to app-based cover advertised from R25, but Clientele's price is for a populated family plan. The only honest comparison is three quotes for the same lives and the same benefit; the method is in best funeral cover in South Africa.
- Per-life benefits on the schedule. Thirteen people on a plan never means thirteen equal benefits. Check what each life is actually covered for.
- The grocery, unveiling and airtime benefits are fixed amounts, useful but modest; do not let them decide the purchase.
- Lapse rules. As with every funeral policy, missed premiums are the real enemy; set a debit order and read how claims get rejected.
For the waiting-period, licence and lapse checks that apply to any funeral policy - not just this one - see our funeral cover comparison checklist.
How Clientele compares
Clientele's strengths are payout speed, unusually transparent terms, and a simple two-plan menu. Its ceilings are mid-market (R50,000 individual cover), and its published prices position it as a full-family product rather than a cheap entry policy. Put it in a three-quote comparison, size the benefit from what funerals really cost, and as always verify the seller with the FSCA on 0800 110 443.
Frequently asked
- How much does Clientele funeral cover cost?
- Clientele publishes its entry prices: the Funeral Dignity Plan from R370 per month and the Ultimate Dignity Plan from R435 per month. These are family-plan prices covering up to 13 people rather than bare minimums, which is worth remembering when comparing against providers whose advertised prices start with one life and little cover.
- What is Clientele's funeral cover waiting period?
- Clientele's terms state it plainly: no benefit for natural death in months one to six, and the full benefit from month seven onwards. Accidental death is covered immediately, including for up to 45 days between application and the policy starting. If you had similar cover elsewhere in the past 31 days, the waiting period counts from that earlier policy's start.
- Does Clientele pay premiums back?
- On the Ultimate Dignity Plan, Clientele advertises a Premium Pay Back Benefit: all premiums back with a valid death claim, and 50% of premiums back in cash at age 65, subject to its own six-month waiting period. The standard Funeral Dignity Plan does not include this, which is most of the price difference between the two plans.
Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. Procedures, fees and regulations change - verify critical details with your funeral parlour, Home Affairs or the FSCA before acting on them.