Old Mutual sells funeral cover through more than one product family, which makes its offering both one of the most flexible in South Africa and one of the easiest to misunderstand. This guide maps the landscape so you can ask for the right plan and read the right fine print.
FuneralCosts is independent and has no affiliation with Old Mutual. Facts come from Old Mutual's published product pages and brochures as checked in July 2026; confirm current terms before buying. This is general information, not financial advice.
The two product families
Old Mutual Protect Funeral Cover is the main advised product: Family Funeral Cover (you, spouses or partners, children) and Extended Family Funeral Cover (parents, in-laws, siblings and other relatives). Old Mutual Funeral Plans (Care Plus, Standard, Comprehensive+ and Easiplus) are a separate branch with their own rules and rates. The same conversation with a broker can end in either; know which one you are being quoted.
The numbers at a glance
| Old Mutual funeral cover | |
|---|---|
| Cover amount | R5,000 up to R100,000 (main member, Protect); up to R50,000 per extended family member |
| Family size | Up to 22 members on one policy |
| Waiting period | 6 months non-accidental causes; 2-year suicide exclusion |
| Money-back guarantee | Premiums repaid if natural-cause death occurs in the waiting period |
| Parents' entry age | Up to 84 on Comprehensive+ plan documents |
| Overall cap | R100,000 per person across all Old Mutual funeral plans |
| Claims | Advertised aim of 24 to 48 hours on valid funeral claims |
Old Mutual publishes at least one example rate in its Comprehensive+ brochure: a 35-year-old taking R5,000 of individual cover "can expect to pay roughly R48" per month. Treat that as their published example, not a quote.
Features that actually differentiate it
- Monthly grocery and education benefits. Optional add-ons that pay R1,000 to R2,000 per month for 12 months after a death, on top of the lump sum. Funerals empty households well after the service; a monthly benefit addresses the part a lump sum rarely reaches.
- Premiums back. On Comprehensive+, after every 36 premiums received, Old Mutual pays back six times the last premium; the Protect cashback option returns a percentage of premiums every five years.
- Premium holidays and paid-up structures. Skipping up to six monthly premiums without lapsing, and a funeral paid-up benefit that keeps cover in force after disability or a set age. These are anti-lapse features, and lapses are how most funeral cover actually dies; see how claims get rejected.
- Double accidental death cover, standard on Comprehensive+ and optional on Protect.
- High parent entry ages. Up to 84 on Comprehensive+ documents, which matters enormously if you are insuring older parents; compare that against the market in funeral cover for parents.
- No medical questions for cover under R50,000 on Protect.
What to check before you sign
- Which product you are actually buying. Protect and the Funeral Plans branch have different entry ages, benefits and rules. Get the plan name on paper.
- Employment requirements. The Comprehensive+ brochure requires the policyholder to be employed full-time; if that is not you, ask which plan fits.
- Child cover percentages. Younger children are covered for a percentage of the adult benefit (for example 50% for ages 6 to 13 on Comprehensive+), which is standard across the industry but surprises families at claim time.
- The add-ons you are paying for. Grocery, education and cashback benefits all raise the premium. Price the policy with and without them.
- The R100,000 across-all-plans cap if your family already holds Old Mutual funeral products.
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 Old Mutual compares
Old Mutual's strengths are range and benefit engineering: high maximum cover, high parent entry ages, and the grocery/education add-ons. The cost of that range is complexity, so comparison shopping matters; use the method in best funeral cover in South Africa, size the benefit from real funeral costs, and verify any seller with the FSCA (0800 110 443) as always.
Frequently asked
- How much funeral cover does Old Mutual offer?
- Old Mutual Protect Family Funeral Cover pays from R5,000 up to R100,000 for the main member, with extended family coverable up to R50,000 per person and up to 22 family members on one policy. Old Mutual also caps total cover per insured person across all its funeral plans at R100,000.
- What is Old Mutual's funeral cover waiting period?
- Six months for death from non-accidental causes, and a two-year suicide exclusion, per Old Mutual's published key features. There is a money-back guarantee: if a covered person dies of natural causes during the waiting period, premiums are paid back. Accidental death cover starts immediately on qualifying plans.
- Can I cover my parents on an Old Mutual funeral plan?
- Yes. The extended-family options allow up to four parents plus siblings and other relatives, and Old Mutual's Comprehensive+ plan documents allow parents to be added up to a maximum entry age of 84, which is higher than many competitors. Confirm the current entry ages for the specific plan you are quoted.
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.