A chance encounter that changed everything
A single television segment in the late 1990s set Sonja Smith on an entirely unexpected career path — one that would see the former international banking specialist become one of Gauteng's most prominent funeral industry entrepreneurs. The Carte Blanche insert about mortuaries captivated her, particularly the stark imagery of refrigerated storage and identification tags, sparking a curiosity she could not shake.
Smith's first visit to a Pretoria funeral parlour in 1997 proved transformative. Watching undertakers respond to bereaved families in the dead of night fascinated her, but it was a deeply personal moment that sealed her fate. After requesting to view one of the cold storage drawers, she encountered the serene figure of an elderly woman, hands folded peacefully across her chest.
"The elderly lady touched my heart; calmly, with her hands folded on her chest. And I could imagine how fulfilling it would be to assist people in such a time."
That quiet encounter lingered in Smith's mind. Several years later, having relocated to KwaZulu-Natal as a single mother of two navigating a turbulent chapter in her personal life, fate intervened at a school committee meeting. She found herself seated beside a representative from a major funeral company, and within weeks had joined one of its busiest branches as an arrangement officer. Working with as many as eight grieving families daily, she knew immediately she had found her calling — even if the coffin display room opposite her office still unsettled her.
Building an empire from nothing
After returning to Pretoria and gaining further experience at funeral homes across the city — including one in East Lynne where affordability was paramount for families — Smith identified an untapped market in Centurion. Together with a colleague and a silent partner who practised medicine, she launched Elite Funeral Services from a converted fashion boutique on Lyttelton Road.
The venture began with virtually nothing: no capital, a borrowed hearse, a loaned grave-lowering device, and just three coffins on credit. Their first client phoned before the doors had even officially opened. Securing the necessary business permits proved far more daunting — a disgruntled neighbour launched a petition that forced Smith to personally argue her case before then Tshwane mayor Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa and the municipal council. Her appeal succeeded, and both trading and cold storage rights were granted.
By March 2006, Smith had struck out entirely on her own, establishing the Sonja Smith Funeral Group from those same Centurion premises. The area has since become something of a hub for the industry, with four undertakers now operating in that stretch of Centurion and two more on the way — locals have wryly dubbed it the "Dead Centre of Centurion." A second branch opened in Moreleta Park within six months, and further expansion followed as Smith refined her vision for personalised farewells.
"We want to make the farewell personal. If it's an aunt who loved gardening, her straw hat and pruning shears are in the lobby."
Smith travelled internationally to study innovative approaches to funeral services, bringing back concepts including environmentally conscious green burials — still somewhat unconventional for traditionally minded South Africans, though available on request. Among the group's more memorable services was an evening funeral held for a well-known meteorologist, featuring an atmospheric candlelit ceremony. After completing a franchise management course in 2009 and spending years finding the right advisory team in Franchise Directions, she began franchising the business in 2015. Today the group comprises six franchises and four branches, stretching from Pretoria and Johannesburg to as far as Mossel Bay, where her sister manages operations. Smith is characteristically selective about franchise partners, noting that each one carries her personal reputation.
Two decades of experience have also brought hard-won wisdom about navigating grief, family dynamics, insurance fraud, and the instinct needed to detect foul play. Planning for the group's future beyond her own tenure, Smith brought in chartered accountant and MBA graduate Michael Blain — initially a franchise owner — appointing him chief executive two years ago. She remains the non-executive face of the brand while Blain handles daily operations.
"Don't be afraid to dream big. Surround yourself with people who support you and stay true to your values."
South Africa's funeral services sector, valued in the billions and serving millions of families annually, remains a critical yet often overlooked part of the economy. Smith's trajectory from a single converted boutique to a multi-branch franchise model illustrates how entrepreneurial innovation can professionalise an essential industry while creating employment across provinces. As consumer expectations evolve and demand for personalised and environmentally conscious options grows, franchise-driven expansion could reshape how funeral services operate nationwide in the coming years.
