For sale - discounted coffins from SA’s online retailers

Struggling to find the desired coffin for your loved one? Well, now it just a click away. 

You can now buy a coffin on sale from R4,899 from the country’s largest online retailer, Takealot. The original price for the coffin is R5,500. 

While delivery is free, the item is “non-refundable”.

“The wood veneer is laminated on to chipboard. Machine-cut and hand-polished with a variety of wood effects. Opens at the top or bottom,” is the description for the coffin on the site. 

There is only one style of the item available, and Takealot said the item was listed by one of their third-party sellers. 

The retailer said the online sale of coffins and caskets is not new and can be seen on large international e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.

“The sale of this item will be processed as per any other item listed on our platform, and will be subject to our standard terms and conditions.”

Takealot is not the only retailer selling coffins. 

On the popular classifieds platform Gumtree, there are 65 coffins for sale. Prices range from R2,000 to R10,000.

Gumtree’s brand marketing manager, Estelle Nagel, said selling coffins online was not uncommon. 

“We once had an entrepreneur who sold cupboards that could be converted into coffins as a way to save money. The product was called the Cup-Coff. 

"In general, I think we look at coffins as being a morbid item but we will all need one eventually, and if you can obtain a great, affordable one on Gumtree, why not?”