Deceased Estate
We understand that managing the affairs of a deceased loved one can be a challenging and emotional process. We are here to provide compassionate guidance and support to help you through this difficult time.
Our team at African Bank is committed to offering personalized assistance tailored to your unique needs and circumstances. We recognize the importance of handling the affairs of the estate with care and consideration for all involved.
Our goal is to alleviate the burden of estate administration by providing clear, supportive guidance every step of the way when claiming against any African Bank products.
The assets or properties of the deceased’s estate must be administered and distributed as instructed in the deceased’s will, or terms of the Intestate Succession Act, 81 of 1987 where there is no valid will.
List of documents required by African Bank
- Request for balances letter (from the Master of High Court).
- Power of Attorney (where an attorney/third party acts on behalf of the holder of a Letters of Authority/Executorship).
- Certified Identity Document or Passport of the Executor or person nominated in the Letters of Authority.
- Proof of address of Special Power of attorney agent.
- Certified copy of the identification document of the deceased.
- Certified copy of Letters of Appointment as Executor (where applicable) issued by a South African Master of the High Court.
- Proof of address of the Executor or person nominated in the Letters of Authority/Executorship.
- Formal closure instruction.
- Certified copy of the Death Certificate/Abridged Certificate.
- Certified copy of Letters of Authority from the Master of High Court (where applicable) issued by a South African Master of the High Court.
- Proof of banking details to be used for the transfer of the deceased estate funds.
List of documents for the Master of the High Court
- A copy of the deceased’s identity document or back and front copy of the identity card.
- The deceased’s original will and any annexures that may apply.
- A list of the people or companies the deceased owed money to, e.g. their bank.
- An original or a certified copy of the deceased’s marriage certificate (if married) or settlement agreement (if divorced).
- If there is no will available, an affidavit specifying this from the next of kin.
- A declaration form (available at the Master’s Office) to confirm that the estate has not been reported to another Master’s Office.
- A declaration of the type of marriage by the surviving spouse.
- Completed estate inventory forms (available at the Master’s Office).
Steps to follow when claiming
- The next-of-kin will need to make certified copies of the deceased’s ID document and obtain a BI-1663 or DHA1663 (death notification) completed by the person reporting the death(doctor or the mortician).
- Once the death notice is received, it must be submitted to the Department of Home Affairs together with the completed DHA1663 and DHA132 (application for a death certificate).
- The forms are available on the South African Department of Home Affairs website .
- An abridged death certificate is issued free of charge on the same day the death is registered.An unabridged certificate can, however, be obtained by completing the DHA132 form together with the payment of the required fee.
- The estate of the deceased is reported by lodging the complete death notice with the Master of the High Court, within 14 days from the date of death.
- The Master of the High Court will issue a Letter of Executorship or a Letter of Authority, depending on the value of the estate.
- For the complete required documents and more details, you can contact the Master of the High Court their website (justice.gov.za/master/deceased.html)
- The executor is the person appointed by the Master in terms of the will (testate) or as nominated by the family (intestate).
- If the value of the estate is less than R250 000, the Master will appoint a representative and issue a Letter of Authority.
- The responsibility of the representative/executor is to ensure that the estate is wound up.
- For a more detailed process, please refer to: https://www.sars.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/Docs/EstateDuty/Administration-of-Deceased-Estates-SARS-2022.pdf
- You can notify us of the death of a loved one by uploading the required documents here
- You can also notify us by visiting any of our Branches across the country. Click here to locate your closest Branch
- Alternatively, you can call us on
- The impact on the deceased’s African Bank product is as follows:
- Funeral Accounts
- If the deceased has a funeral cover with African Bank, you may visit one of our Branches for assistance or contact our insurance team at [email protected] to submit the funeral claim.
- If the deceased has no funeral cover in place to pay for the funeral, you may visit one of our Branches for assistance or contact our deceased estate team at: [email protected] for assistance with paying for the funeral costs.
- The following documents will be required for the funeral costs assistance:
- A certified copy of the deceased’s identity document.
- A certified copy of the death certificate.
- A certified copy of the executor’s identity document.
- A certified copy of the Power of Attorney and identity document (if appointed as the agent by the executor).
- A certified copy of a letter of executorship/letter of authority.
- Proof of Invoice of cost and services together with the service provider’s banking details.
- Funeral Accounts
Impact on the different products
Personal Loan
Where there is a valid Credit Life policy and there is an outstanding balance, the applicable insurance claim will be submitted to settle the outstanding debt. The bank has the reserve to claim the outstanding balance if there is no Credit Life Policy or a short fall from the insurance claim against the estate.
Saving and Investments
All the available funds will be paid to the late estate account/executors nominated account.
My World (Transactional Account)
Where there are funds (Credit balance) in the deceased account, the bank will pay all the funds into the late state account/executors nominated account.
Where there are no funds (Debit balance) in the deceased account, the applicable insurance claim will be submitted to settle the outstanding debt. The bank reserve the right to claim the outstanding balance if there is no insurance or a short fall from the insurance claim against the estate.