How To Become A Funeral Director In South Africa

Funeral Director a person, usually a licensed embalmer, who supervises or conducts the preparation of the dead for burial and directs or arranges funerals. a person who owns or operates a funeral home.

Who is a Funeral Director?

A funeral director is a person involved in the funeral ritual business. He/she is also known as an undertaker. The tasks entail embalming and burial of the deaths and the arrangements for the funeral ceremony.

What is the Role of a Funeral Director?

Now that we’ve defined the funeral director let’s go to the fathom of the tasks they need to perform. The duties include:

Preparing death notices.

Arranging pallbearers and clergy services.

Collaborating with the family of the departed and preparing the logistics and details of the funeral as per their wishes.

Selecting location, dates and time schedules of burials, wakes and memorial services.

Scheduling the opening and enclosing of a grave with an agent of the cemetery.

Below are the Things to Know Before Becoming a Funeral Director in South Africa

The funeral is the most heartbreaking and unexpected occurrence in our lives. And you have come forward to become a funeral director, a gloomy yet rewarding job. So I want to enlighten you with some facts about this profession.

Before anything else, you must know that it’s a physically tough job. Always you have to get up and go to set everything up. Sometimes you need to wake up in the witching hour and perform your duties. These hampers your sleep and alone can cause physical illness.

It’s emotionally draining too. Daily you have to see dead bodies, the mourning of their near and dear ones. You have to deal with unnatural deaths. Sometimes you will bury the resting souls of little children, which will cause a mental breakdown.

This field is not humorless either! Sometimes hilarious situations arise as people talk about the departed souls and their funny activities as well. Also, by hearing the stories, you will often get inspirations and insights about life.

Below is How To Become A Funeral Director In South Africa

1 Education

To become a funeral director, you have to educate yourself first. An associate’s degree in funeral service or mortuary science is the typical education requirement for funeral service workers.

The syllabus commonly includes professional ethics, anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, pathology, embalming, restorative art, federal regulations, and mortuary law. It also contains funeral service psychology and counselling. Moreover, if you want to build your own business after getting some experiences, some business courses may help you.

2 Apprenticeship

You can start your career also by taking an intermediate apprenticeship in funeral operations and services or as a funeral team member.

After one year of industrial experience, you can do a funeral director advanced apprenticeship.

Entry Requirements:

For Intermediate Apprenticeship: some GCSEs with English and Maths or equivalent.

For Advanced Apprenticeship: 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including Maths and English or equivalent.

3 Online Course

There are several online courses for you to become a funeral director.

They also assess your abilities. The exam is carried through online learning platforms. Immediately after completion, you will get the results of your test.

Moreover, you can attend your classes by sitting on your warm and cosy couch and get certification!

4 Certification

In the South Africa Kingdom, to get the certification, you have to register as a student member of the British Institute of Funeral Director (BIFD). It is offered to those who are looking to obtain an understanding and formal training in the fundamental aspects of funeral service.

After finishing the course, the students must sit for a 90 minute written assessment with a 60% pass mark. The BIFD gives successful applicants with The Certificate in Funeral Service.

What qualifications do you need to become a funeral director In South Africa?

What are the basic requirements for becoming a funeral director?

A high school diploma, or an equivalent GED.

An Associate Degree in Funeral Service Education sometimes a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited program.

An apprenticeship, typically lasting for one to three years.

How long does it take to train to be a funeral director In South Africa?

Training

It is offered by the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the British Institute of Funeral Directors (BIFD) certificate in funeral service. The training program usually lasts one to three years.

How much money does a funeral director make a year In South Africa?

Funeral Director Salaries

Job TitleSalary
InvoCare Funeral Director salaries – 5 salaries reportedR 755654.91/yr
Tobin Brothers Funerals Funeral Planner/FDA salaries – 2 salaries reportedR 1070324.72/yr
Tobin Brothers Funerals Funeral Director’s Assistant salaries – 2 salaries reportedR 683187.60/yr

Are morticians and funeral directors the same In South Africa?

Funeral directors are also frequently referred to as morticians or undertakers. They provide organized and thoughtful services in preparing the deceased, while also giving consolation to the grieving loved ones

Are morticians in demand?

Employment of funeral directors and morticians is projected to grow 5 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for funeral service workers will stem from deaths in the aging population. In addition, a growing number of baby boomers prearrange their end-of-life services.

Do you need a degree to be a funeral director In South Africa?

You usually need experience in the funeral industry to work as a Funeral Director. While formal qualifications aren’t essential, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course in funeral services may be useful.

How much does a funeral arranger earn?

£53,982 (GBP)/yr.

What is the role of a funeral arranger In South Africa?

A funeral arranger works closely with the funeral director to ensure all funeral arrangements go to plan. They listen to the bereaved about their needs and provide the relevant information that will help them make decisions.