With more families unable to afford decent funerals for their loved ones, the burden of sudden deaths is increasingly falling on households already struggling to make ends meet.
The cost of mortuary fees and burial expenses has left many unable to lay their relatives to rest with dignity.
One such case is that of the Fredericks family in Okahandja Park in Windhoek, who have been unable to bury 19-year-old Maggy Fredericks nearly two weeks after her death on 31 August 2025.
The late Fredericks, who supported her unemployed mother and eight siblings by doing odd jobs, was the family's main breadwinner.
Her body has been in a mortuary for nearly two weeks as the family struggles to raise the necessary funds for burial.
72-year-old Rebeka Fredericks is a cancer patient, but also the family's only other source of income through her pension grant.
Her granddaughter's death has left her devastated. She said her granddaughter often accompanied her to her treatment sessions.
"All I am saying is that she was a fighter for our family. I took her in and raised her since she was a child. She used to feed us; she used to bring us food to eat and water to drink because we had to buy water. I am now raising her daughter. How am I going to feed her? I am only asking for what you can, so I can bury my granddaughter in any way you possibly can."
When NBC News reached out to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the PRO, Walters Kamaya, explained that families are given a five-day grace period if a patient dies in hospital, after which a N$10 daily fee is charged. For outpatients, those who die at home or elsewhere, the fee applies immediately once the body is received at the mortuary.
With Maggy Fredericks' body having been in the mortuary for 18 days, the costs have already reached N$180 and continue to rise, adding to the family's financial burden as they remain unable to make any payments.
According to a funeral cover provider contacted by NBC News, the cheapest policy requires N$37 per family member per month.
This remains unaffordable, though, to many households in the informal settlements. The Fredericks family has thus appealed for help to ensure Maggy is buried with dignity.