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Absa Trust Deceased Estates Contact Details
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To tell Absa about a death, call the Absa Deceased Estates team on 0861 113 003 or email deceasedestates@absa.africa; to have Absa report and administer the estate, call the Estate Intake Centre on 0860 110 287. Absa’s fiduciary services cover Wills Direct, Absa Trust (trust services and co-trustee appointments), the Estate Intake Centre for deceased estates, and the Retail Deceased Estates Credits team, also called Deceased 911, which handles the Absa debts of clients who have died.
For Absa’s everyday banking numbers, see the main Absa contact details page.
Absa Trust and deceased estates contact details at a glance
| Route | Details |
|---|---|
| Deceased Estates team (Retail Deceased Estates Credits / Deceased 911) | 0861 113 003 |
| Deceased Estates email (notify of death) | deceasedestates@absa.africa |
| Report a death online | relationshipbanking.absa.co.za/de/ |
| Estate Intake Centre | 0860 110 287 |
| Absa Trusts / Trust Services | 0861 238 886 |
| Absa Trust estate planning email | absatrust@absa.co.za |
| Wills Direct | 0860 627 775 |
| Absa Life Call Centre (death benefits, funeral cover) | 0860 227 253 |
| Life cover claims email | lifeclaims@absa.co.za |
| Credit protection and funeral claims email | creditlifeclaims@absa.co.za |
| Relationship banking call line (trust page) | 0800 227 592 |
| Hours (Deceased Estate team) | Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00 |
Official Absa Trust and deceased estates route
Which number you need depends on the job:
- Notifying Absa of a death and dealing with the deceased’s Absa accounts or debts: the Deceased Estates team on 0861 113 003 (Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00), deceasedestates@absa.africa, or the online form at relationshipbanking.absa.co.za/de/. After an online report, an agent contacts you about the next steps.
- Having Absa report and administer an estate: the Estate Intake Centre on 0860 110 287.
- Trusts, including appointing Absa Trust as co-trustee: Trust Services on 0861 238 886 or absatrust@absa.co.za. Absa Trust offers testamentary, inter vivos and beneficiary fund trusts.
- Drawing up a will: Absa Wills Direct on 0860 627 775.
- Life, credit protection and funeral claims: the Absa Life Call Centre on 0860 227 253, lifeclaims@absa.co.za for life cover, or creditlifeclaims@absa.co.za for credit protection and funeral claims.
Relationship banking clients can also call their Relationship Executive or Financial Adviser, or the line on Absa’s trust page, 0800 227 592.
What you need before contacting Absa
You will need the death certificate, which you get by registering the death at Home Affairs (form BI-1663).
To ask Absa to pay a funeral or burial account from the deceased’s Absa account, send a signed Form 7581, a certified copy of the death certificate and ID, the funeral parlour’s invoice and the MBU12 letter. Use the subject line “Funeral/Burial order”.
If the estate is worth more than R250 000, the executor receives a letter of executorship from the Master of the High Court; below R250 000, a Master’s representative receives a letter of authority. Have that letter ready when you deal with the estate’s accounts.
Step-by-step contact process
- Register the death at Home Affairs (BI-1663) to get a death certificate.
- Notify Absa at deceasedestates@absa.africa, through the online form at relationshipbanking.absa.co.za/de/, or on 0861 113 003.
- Report the estate to the Master of the High Court within 14 days.
- The executor or Master’s representative is appointed and winds up the estate. Absa lodges its claim for any debt the deceased owed.
- Submit insurance claims through the Absa Life Call Centre on 0860 227 253 or the claims mailboxes above.
Absa gives rough claim turnaround times: about 25 working days for life cover, about 15 working days for credit protection and about 48 hours for funeral cover.
If the deceased had an Absa home loan, the options Absa lists are substitution of debtor, subject to a credit assessment, or selling the property through Absa Help U Sell.
Escalation route
Absa does not publish a separate escalation line for deceased estates. Use the Deceased Estates team on 0861 113 003 or deceasedestates@absa.africa, and keep the reference number and a record of each call. For trust matters, go back to Trust Services on 0861 238 886.
For other banks and financial services, browse the banking and finance hub or the banking directory A listings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Absa deceased estates contact number?
Call the Deceased Estates team on 0861 113 003, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 16:00. The Estate Intake Centre is on 0860 110 287.
What is the Absa deceased estates email address?
Email deceasedestates@absa.africa to notify Absa of a death. You can also report a death online at relationshipbanking.absa.co.za/de/.
How do I contact Absa Trust?
Call Absa Trust Services on 0861 238 886 or email absatrust@absa.co.za.
Can Absa pay for the funeral from the deceased’s account?
Absa accepts funeral or burial payment requests with a signed Form 7581, a certified death certificate and ID, the parlour’s invoice and the MBU12 letter, under the subject “Funeral/Burial order”.
How long does an Absa funeral claim take?
Absa says funeral cover claims take about 48 hours, credit protection about 15 working days and life cover about 25 working days.
Sources
- Absa, Deceased estates: absa.co.za/personal/insure/deceased-estates/, read 2026-09-26
- Absa, My will, trust and estate: absa.co.za/personal/insure/my-will-trust-estate/explore/, read 2026-09-26
- Absa, Trust (business): absa.co.za/business/protect-my-business/trust/, read 2026-09-26