AVBOB is like that reliable old bakkie your grandfather owned. It’s been around since 1918, and everyone knows the name. If you walk into any small town in South Africa, you’re likely to see their signage before you see a grocery store. But does that longevity translate to flexibility for big families?
When you look at AVBOB, you’re looking at a “Mutual” society. This is a fancy way of saying they don’t have shareholders; they have members. Because of this, they tend to lean heavily into “Member Benefits.” If you use AVBOB Funeral Service for the burial, they throw in a massive list of freebies—a coffin, a hearse, flowers, the whole nine yards.
But we’re here to talk about the guest list. AVBOB allows you to add your spouse and children, obviously. Then you can add up to four parents or in-laws. That’s a decent start. But then we hit the “Extended” category. Most AVBOB plans allow for a specific number of additional relatives—usually capped around six to nine depending on the flavor of the policy you choose.
I’ve noticed that AVBOB’s real “secret sauce” is the one-premium perk for children. You pay one flat rate, and all your kids are covered. If you’ve got a busy household with four or five little ones running around, that’s a massive win. However, if you’re trying to cover twelve cousins and your grandmother’s sister, you might start hitting some walls. Is AVBOB the best for a massive, multi-generational clan? Maybe not on volume alone, but for the “core” extended family, it’s a powerhouse.
Metropolitan: The “Big Tent” Specialist
Now, let’s talk about Metropolitan. If AVBOB is the reliable bakkie, Metropolitan is the luxury tour bus. They’ve leaned hard into the “volume” game over the last few years. I was reading through their latest brochures last month, and one number jumped off the page and nearly hit me in the face: 20 lives.
Yes, you read that right. Metropolitan allows you to cover up to 20 people on a single policy.
When I told Thabo this, he nearly dropped his tea. “Twenty people? I don’t even like twenty people,” he joked. But the reality is that for many of us, that number isn’t an exaggeration. Between siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the kids, you hit double digits faster than you think.
Metropolitan’s flexibility is where they really shine. Unlike some rigid plans that say “everyone gets R10,000 cover,” Metropolitan lets you mix and match. You can have R50,000 for your mom, R20,000 for your sister, and maybe R10,000 for that cousin who’s always “finding himself” in Cape Town. It allows you to tailor the budget to the person’s specific needs and your own pocket.
One thing I really appreciate about their setup is the Payment Protection. If the main member (that’s you) passes away or retires, there are options to keep the rest of the family covered. There’s nothing worse than the “breadwinner” passing away and the whole family losing their safety net exactly when they need it most. It’s a thoughtful touch in a world that often feels quite cold.
The Head-to-Head: Which One Wins the Numbers Game?
If we’re purely looking at “Who can fit the most people in the car?”, Metropolitan wins by a landslide. Twenty lives versus roughly ten or twelve is a huge difference. If you are the designated “policy holder” for a massive extended family, Metropolitan is your best friend.
But it’s not just about the headcount, is it? We have to look at age limits. This is where the real heartbreaks happen in insurance. You find a great plan, you’re ready to sign up, and then you realize your 78-year-old grandmother is “too old” to be added.
Generally, both companies allow you to add extended members up to age 75 or sometimes 85, but the premiums at that age are… let’s just say they’re “spicy.” AVBOB tends to be very structured with their age bands. Metropolitan feels a bit more like a “choose your own adventure” book.
Then there’s the cover ceiling. AVBOB’s extended member cover usually hovers around the R30,000 mark. Metropolitan can push that significantly higher, sometimes up to R50,000 or R70,000 depending on the plan. If you’re planning a big send-off with a marquee, catering for the whole neighborhood, and a premium casket, those extra thousands matter.
The Factors You Don’t See in the Brochure
I’ve been around the block a few times with insurance claims. I’ve seen people in their darkest moments trying to navigate call centers, and let me tell you, the “best” policy is the one that actually pays out without making you jump through burning hoops.
AVBOB has a massive physical presence. If you’re the kind of person who wants to walk into a building, sit across from a human being, and look them in the eye, AVBOB is king. They have over 300 branches. In a digital world, there’s still something deeply comforting about a brick-and-mortar office when you’re grieving.
Metropolitan, on the other hand, has gone full “Future Mode.” You can manage almost everything via WhatsApp or their app. For the younger generation—the “Digital Natives” who would rather walk on hot coals than make a phone call—this is a dream. I’ve helped an aunt file a claim through a chat interface before, and it was surprisingly smooth. No fax machines, no “please hold for the next available operator” music from the 80s.
Then there’s the Cashback factor. Both companies offer a version of this. AVBOB gives you a percentage back if you don’t claim for a few years. Metropolitan has a “Multi-Benefit” approach where you can get cash back every few years just for staying up to date. It’s a nice “thank you” for being a loyal customer, and it usually comes in handy right around the time the car needs new tires or the kids need school uniforms.
The Verdict: So, Who Should You Choose?
If you’ve got a massive family—I’m talking 15+ people—don’t even waste your time looking elsewhere. Metropolitan is the one-stop-shop that simplifies your life. Having one debit order for 20 people is much easier than managing five different policies across three different companies. It’s about sanity as much as it is about money.
However, if your extended family is a bit smaller, say four or five extra people, AVBOB is incredibly compelling. Why? Because they don’t just give you a check; they provide a service. When someone passes away, the last thing you want to do is hunt for a reputable funeral parlor, negotiate the price of a hearse, and worry about the quality of the coffin. AVBOB handles the logistics. For many people, that “all-in-one” peace of mind is worth more than a higher payout limit.
I remember my own Gogo saying, “I don’t want a bag of money; I want a dignified walk to my resting place.” For her, AVBOB was the only choice. For my friend Thabo, who was trying to protect a literal busload of relatives on a tight budget, Metropolitan was the hero.
At the end of the day, the “best” funeral plan is the one you can actually afford to keep paying. I’ve seen so many people sign up for the R20,000-a-month “Premium Diamond Deluxe” plan, only to cancel it six months later because they couldn’t buy groceries. Don’t do that. Be realistic.
Which way are you leaning? Do you need the raw capacity of Metropolitan, or are you looking for the “cradle-to-grave” service of AVBOB? It’s a big decision, but at least now you know the rules of the game.