AVBOB will not charge for PPE at funerals until 31 December 2020

The mutual assurance society sets itself apart in SA funeral service industry.

For more than 100 years, AVBOB has put people at the forefront of its business. Picture: AVBOB

From 17 August 2020, AVBOB has not been charging anyone who conducts a funeral with AVBOB Funeral Service for any personal protective equipment (PPE)**. Until then, these costs were for the account of the family of the deceased. This benefit will be provided until 31 December 2020.

For more than 100 years, AVBOB has put people at the forefront of its business. This ethos has set it apart from its competitors in the SA business space. As the largest mutual assurance society in SA, AVBOB has remained true to its core belief as expressed during the Spanish Flu in 1918 — that each human being is entitled to a dignified funeral, at an affordable price.

R320m in free funeral benefits*

In the last financial year (July 2019 to June 2020), AVBOB Funeral Service provided FREE funeral benefits* to the value of R320 million to its members. During July 2020 the benefits totalled R50 million.

102 years of sharing value

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AVBOB’s shared value business model is rooted in its status as a mutual society. It has no external shareholders, only members (policyholders).

Value is shared with its members through special bonuses and the provision of free funeral benefits which are over-and-above the policy value. These include up to R17 000 FREE funeral benefits* provided by AVBOB Funeral Service:

A FREE funeral valued at R12 000, which includes the funeral arrangements, a specified coffin and hearse;
R2 500 immediate cash payment for initial expenses; and
FREE transport of the deceased within the borders of SA.

Sufficient capacity on all fronts to handle increase in COVID-19-related deaths

AVBOB remains confident that it has sufficient capacity to meet the possibility of an increase in demand that can arise due to a spike in mortality rates caused by Covid-19, while maintaining the highest quality standards in the provision of funeral services and funeral products.

This applies to its factory in Bloemfontein that manufactures coffins and caskets as well as its capacity to render funeral services at its more than 200 funeral agencies across SA. It has also converted shipping containers into temporary mortuaries in case there are major unexpected spikes in the mortality rate.

* Terms and conditions apply. Free funeral benefits only apply if AVBOB Funeral Service conducts the funeral. AVBOB is an authorised financial services provider. AVBOB is a level 2 BBBEE contributor. FSP 20656. www.AVBOB.co.za

** Discretionary PPE will still be for the customer’s account. This includes PPE that the family uses at the gravesite or when viewing the body.

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