The family of a South African producer who died during the Miss Africa pageant in Nigeria are waiting for his body to be repatriated.

Allen Makhubele, 30, fell down a staircase at a hotel in Nigeria on December 23. He succumbed to his head injuries on New Year's Day.

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday from Nigeria, Makhubele's sister Mantombi said they expected to bring back home his body this week.

"This morning was a bit emotional when we picked him at the mortuary."

Makhubele, who is known for his work on a number of television shows including e.tv's Shiz Niz, Isiko and Club 808, was part of a delegation as content producer to Nigeria to help with the second annual Miss Africa pageant.

He fell from the fourth floor and was taken to Memfys Hospital in Enugu where he died.

Mantombi said: "It's a long process to bring a body back to South Africa. We had to do an autopsy and then wait for the report to come back before we sent the document to South Africa where it goes to the department of health."

Mantombi added they hoped to be back in South Africa by midweek."The delay is strenuous as you can imagine because Allen left South Africa on the 12th of December."

Makhubele recently married Shellyanne and was a father of a one-year-old.

"There are situations that require you to be strong. My mom is taking a strain."

Makhubele's funeral date has been set for Saturday in Fourways, Johannesburg.

Friends described his last moments as painful.

"The hospital was not in a very good state. I kept saying this guy has to be taken back home where he can get better care," pageant's show director Andiswa Manxiwa said.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesman Clayson Monyela said the South African embassy in Nigerian was working closely with the family.