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Business is booming for undertakers as increased mortality from HIV/AIDS becomes a major source of wealth for the industry.
An extensive survey by a local news team from the City Press newspaper found that funeral parlours were thriving in parts of KwaZulu-Natal province, where the cost of imported coffins ranged from about US $6,000 to almost $8,000 each.
Rebecca Gwamanda, of the Rebecca Burial Scheme in the port city of Durban, said while there was no doubt that undertakers were cashing in on AIDS, community burial schemes were severely strained as they struggled to cope with the weekly number of burials.
"Before the outbreak of HIV/AIDS, we used to bury about seven people a week, but these days we bury 40 to 50 people a week," Gwamanda said.
The province is estimated to have an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 33 percent, much higher than the national rate of 25 percent.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions