If the escalating cost of stocking up on meat for a weekend braai is enough to send you to an early grave, be forewarned - funerals are also becoming more pricey in South Africa.

Statistics South Africa has done an analysis of things that got more expensive in the country between August 2016 and August 2017 - and more specifically by 6% or more.

The number crunching exercise is the flip side of SSA's recent look at what prices dropped during 2017, such as the ones for rusks, vegetables, fruit, household appliances and furniture.

Apart from meat, other food and drinks items with prices above target inflation in August 2017 included sugar, sweets and desserts (8.1%), hot beverages comprised mainly of tea and coffee (7.5%), and spirit coolers and ciders (8.1%).

Taking ill is also, broadly speaking, costing more with the escalation in doctors' fees at 6.5%, the cost of medication up by 7.2%, dentists' fees up by 6.3% as well as medical aid.

Funeral services increased by 12%.

Explaining why this could be the case, Mike Collinge, inland region chair of the National Funeral Directors Association, said fuel and labour were the items that mourners spent most on.

"We use big cars to move the coffin. Families sometimes request up to four vehicles for the family, apart from a big bus they would also hire for the extended family," said Collinge.

"At the burial site, the family may want to have seating available as well as loudspeakers.

"Some people go all out when it comes to funerals."

He said families could reduce the costs of a funeral by choosing a coffin for about R6500, as opposed to having a casket priced at around R30000.