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Beneficiaries of the Doves lifestyle package pose for a group photograph before their trip to Victoria Falls where they will spend two nights at the Kingdom Hotel

Tinashe Makichi Business Reporter
DOVES Funeral Assurance will invest towards the acquisition of new fleet and refurbishment of its coffin manufacturing division to meet global standards, a company official said.
Doves has so far beefed up its fleet with new buses and removal ambulances as the country’s oldest funeral assurer moves to improve service delivery.
Doves Funeral Assurance managing director Dr Talent Maziwisa said the company values convenience in the course of doing business hence the intention to continue purchasing new fleets.

“Seven buses and four ambulances were acquired recently to ensure the group is able to meet the demands of the customers and this will go in tandem with our capacity to fulfil our obligation of paying claims in time,” said Dr Maziwisa.

The purchase of a new fleet of buses and ambulances will boost the company’s market from the current 25 percent. The growth in the funeral assurance industry has brought about the coming of new players with some flouting the rules and regulations of the industry.

However competition has become stiff in the sector with players fighting for  business in a tight liquidity environment.
A report by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec) showed that the funeral industry wrote $9 million in net premiums in the first quarter to March 31 this year up from $8 million in the same period last year.

During the period, Doves’ net premiums were $2 million up from $1,5 million in the first quarter of last year.
Meanwhile Doves Funeral Assurance has launched its lifestyle package by sending the first batch of lifestyle policy holders for a holiday in Victoria Falls
The policy holders will spend two nights at the Kingdom Hotel.

Doves Lifestyle package is a new product in addition to the existing conventional funeral policies.
“The package comes with holiday provision for the policy holder, top of the range caskets and executive vehicles to provide comfort at the time of bereavement,” said Doves Funeral Assurance general manager sales and marketing Mr Albert Maungwe.

He said the package accords the deceased to walk their life as they go to their final resting place, and this has been witnessed by the first batch of policy holders heading for Victoria Falls on holiday.

Mr Maungwe said the company is also looking at venturing into public private partnerships so that they register their presence in capacity building of the nation.