Funeral program template for South Africa

A standard South African funeral program has four parts:

• Front cover - a photo of the person, their full name, the dates of birth and passing, and a short heading such as "In loving memory" or "Celebrating the life of".
• Inside left - the order of service (the running order of the ceremony).
• Inside right - the obituary or life story, and the list of surviving family.
• Back cover - a poem or scripture, the acknowledgements (thank you from the family), and the burial or cremation details.

Keep fonts simple and large enough for older readers. One or two photos is plenty.

Copy everything in the block below into Word or Google Docs and replace the placeholders.

----------- FRONT COVER -----------
In loving memory of
[FULL NAME]
["Also known as" / clan name - optional]
[DATE OF BIRTH] - [DATE OF PASSING]
[Photo here]

----------- INSIDE LEFT: [ORDER OF SERVICE](/templates/order-of-service-funeral/) -----------
Service held at [VENUE / CHURCH NAME]
[DATE] at [TIME]
Officiating: [PASTOR / PRIEST / MASTER OF CEREMONY]

1.  Opening hymn         [HYMN NAME]
2.  Scripture reading    [BOOK, CHAPTER:VERSE] - read by [NAME]
3.  Prayer               [NAME]
4.  Tribute (family)     [NAME]
5.  Tribute (friends)    [NAME]
6.  Hymn                 [HYMN NAME]
7.  Obituary             read by [NAME]
8.  Sermon / message     [PASTOR]
9.  Acknowledgements     [FAMILY SPOKESPERSON]
10. Closing hymn         [HYMN NAME]
11. Vote of thanks       [NAME]
12. Procession to [CEMETERY / CREMATORIUM]

----------- INSIDE RIGHT: OBITUARY -----------
[FULL NAME] was born on [DATE] at [PLACE].
[He / She] [short life story: schooling, work, marriage, children, faith, community].
[He / She] passed away on [DATE] at [PLACE].

Left to cherish [his / her] memory:
Spouse:   [NAME]
Children: [NAMES]
Grandchildren: [NAMES]
Siblings: [NAMES]
and a host of relatives and friends.

----------- BACK COVER -----------
[POEM OR SCRIPTURE - keep it short]

The family of the late [SURNAME] wishes to thank everyone for
your prayers, calls, visits and support during this difficult time.
May God bless you all.

Interment: [CEMETERY NAME], [DATE] at [TIME]

That is the whole booklet. Delete any line you do not need.

Three easy routes:

1. At home - print the A4 sheet double-sided, then fold. Best for small services and short notice.
2. Local print shop or PostNet - they will print and fold for you, usually same day. Bring a finished PDF.
3. A funeral parlour - many parlours include a basic program in the package, or print one for a small fee.

For a sharper finish, export your document to PDF before printing so the layout does not shift between computers.

• Use a clear photo where the person is looking at the camera and smiling.
• Pick one easy-to-read font for the body and stick to it.
• Use the person's full name on the cover, and clan or church name if it matters to the family.
• Leave a little white space. A crowded program is hard to read at an emotional moment.
• Proofread the names and dates twice. Spelling errors are the most common and most painful mistake.

You do not need to buy software:

• Microsoft Word or Google Docs - use a two-column or booklet layout.
• Canva - has free funeral program templates you can edit in your browser; export to PDF.
• A phone - even the Google Docs app on a phone can produce a clean single-page A5 program in an emergency.

Whatever you use, save a copy. Families often reprint the program for the one-month or one-year memorial.