The South African Local Government Association (Salga) and the Emfuleni local municipality have launched a digital Cemetery Management Platform to modernise and digitise cemetery management and improve access to municipal burial services.

The system went live on September 14 and is a step toward digitally transforming cemetery management within local government.

Municipalities face increasing challenges in managing cemeteries, including limited burial space, ageing infrastructure, fragmented records and growing demand for more efficient services.

In Emfuleni, an assessment informed by cemetery visits undertaken in 2025 found that conditions had deteriorated since the previous assessment conducted in 2023, highlighting the need for improved management systems and planning.

The initiative forms part of Salga’s broader commitment to harnessing technology, data and innovation to strengthen municipal systems, improve operational efficiency and support more transparent, accessible and citizen-centred services.

Through the new platform, residents, funeral undertakers and burial societies will be able to submit burial applications online, upload supporting documentation, track applications and receive electronic updates.

The dedicated mobile application is available on Android and Apple devices, and will further improve access by allowing users to engage with cemetery services remotely and reducing reliance on in-person administrative processes, Salga says.

The platform will digitise Emfuleni local municipality's cemetery records, improve grave allocation and streamline administrative processes, while providing more reliable information to support planning, monitoring and decision-making.

The secure, cloud-based system is designed to support compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act and relevant municipal by-laws, while creating a foundation for future data analytics and automation.

As a pilot, the initiative provides an opportunity to demonstrate how digital solutions can be applied to practical service delivery challenges within local government.

Lessons from the implementation will help inform further refinement of the platform and assess its potential application in other municipalities, Salga says.

“The launch of the Digital Cemetery Management Platform marks a step towards modernising how municipalities manage and deliver cemetery services. By harnessing digital innovation and data, we can improve efficiency, transparency and the experience of communities accessing these essential services,” says Salga Gauteng Inclusive Communities working group chairperson Margaret Arnolds.

“The Emfuleni pilot also provides an opportunity to learn, refine and develop a solution that could benefit municipalities across South Africa.”