#SAFranchiseFriday featuring Doves Group

BACKGROUND
Doves Group, initially named Dove Funeral Services, was established in 1883 as a funeral directing organisation in Durban. Today, with a national network of more than 160 branches spanning all nine provinces, Doves Group is one of the largest funeral directing companies in southern Africa and a major role player in the progressive development of the funeral industry.

Doves Group is an authorised financial services provider with its funeral insurance underwritten by Union Life. Doves Group aims to be the leading funeral brand in South Africa, to provide innovative funeral-related services and products to all South African communities, and to exploit the full extent of the funeral value chain for the benefit of all stakeholders while delivering a service that is a celebration of life.

THE CONCEPT
Doves Group provides insurance, funeral services and related products. Their extensive range of services includes burial services, memorials, cremations, embalming, caring for the deceased, repatriations, home funeral arrangements, and funeral insurance. While previously targeting the white market, Doves has successfully penetrated the black market with customised products that cater for everyone’s needs such as, amongst others, the All Nations 8 and All Nations 12 burial plans.

Doves has also established an international brand with partners in Ghana and Zimbabwe. Doves is now able to cater to the Zimbabwean audience through the new Doves Zimba-Mzansi product which prides itself on its repatriation benefit.

Doves provides fully trained and highly capable staff to assist in the successful running of the franchise. A typical franchise branch consists of a branch manager responsible for running the branch, a funeral director who oversees the smooth execution of funerals, a funeral arranging officer who assist families with funeral arrangements, and a funeral consultant who is the clients’ first point of contact and who also assists with branch admin, reception duties, client policy payments and branch policy sales. Doves strives to ensure that franchisees receive maximum support from all relevant departments at the franchisor head office.  

FRANCHISOR SUPPORT
In addition to supporting and advising franchisees, the franchisor provides assistance with site selection. The franchise establishment fee includes all branding, shop fitting, equipment, vehicles, furniture and fixtures, and opening stock.

Each franchisee is issued a comprehensive operations manual to ensure branch standards and daily operations are conducted in accordance with the Doves vision, mission and standards.
Franchisees will be trained by  the Funeral Academy for Africa (FAFA), whose qualified trainers will ensure that franchisees are equipped to run a successful business.

FRANCHISEE PROFILE
Applicants should exhibit good management, time management, communication and listening skills. Successful franchisees are hardworking and enthusiastic self-starters who are sales- and service-driven, quality conscious, self-disciplined and resilient.

SNAPSHOT
HISTORY
Year founded: 1883
Area of origin: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
CEO: Minki Rasenyalo

NETWORK
1st SA franchise opened: 2016
Number of SA outlets: 160 +

FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
Management fee: 8% of turnover
Marketing fee: 3% of turnover
Agreement term: 5 Years
Renewal term: 5 Years

FINANCIALS
* Amounts quoted are VAT exclusive
Establishment cost: R950 000 to R2,9 million
Franchise joining fee: R150 000
Working capital required: R300 000
TOTAL average set-up cost: From R1,4 million
Average monthly turnover: Available on request
Achievable gross margins: Available on request

WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Contact Zandile Nyandeni on +27 11 483 1188 or franchise@doves.co.za
www.doves.co.za