Families often ask two timeline questions at once: When will the stone be ready? and What happens on install day? This guide walks the human path from design proof to unveiling readiness for Thabaletsi granite memorials made in Limpopo — calmly, without fake urgency.
Production happens at our Nkowankowa factory & head office. Live shops in Acornhoek, Metz (Sekororo / Trichardtsdal), Tzaneen, Namakgale, and Polokwane support samples, sales, and local coordination. We do not present closed locations as open.
For paperwork at the grave, use cemetery permits & grave visit checklist. For what the price covers, use what a Thabaletsi price includes and the live prices hub.
The short timeline (at a glance)
| Stage | What happens | Family duty |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose & quote | Design selected; written quotation | Confirm cemetery location for radius |
| 2. Proof | Layout drawing for wording / design | Check spelling, dates, message carefully |
| 3. Pay | Full payment (or finish lay-bye) | Use official account details only |
| 4. Manufacture | Factory work after proof + payment rules | Wait — custom granite, not same-day |
| 5. Ready call | Confirmation that the stone is ready | Agree install date / access |
| 6. Site meeting & install | Team at cemetery; docs signed | Authorised person present; gate/permit ready |
| 7. Unveil readiness | Stone in place; ceremony planning | Follow unveiling checklist |
Live anchors for this path: 10 simple steps to order without leaving home, how we make granite tombstones, prices FAQ.
Stage 1 — Choose the design and name the grave
Browse the shop, visit a live branch, or WhatsApp an official number from the website. Tell the sales team where the grave is. Distance affects whether installation falls inside the 100 km radius language used on the flyer and in the 10-step guide (beyond that, a fee appears on the quotation).
Winner-geo soft path many families use: start at Acornhoek or Metz, finalise at Nkowankowa, or work with Tzaneen when that is closest to the cemetery.
Stage 2 — Approve the proof (the most important “pause”)
Before cutting and sandblasting, you receive a proof / layout drawing. Wording is sandblasted from what you approve. Portraits follow the etching process described in the factory guide.
Check slowly:
- Full names and correct spelling (all languages on the stone)
- Dates and any clan, faith, or scripture lines
- Photo crop and orientation (if photo engraving is on the quote)
- That the design still fits cemetery size limits (ask the office — see
Approve only when the family is aligned. Changes after sandblasting are harder and more painful than a careful pause now.
Stage 3 — Payment and lay-bye
From the live prices FAQ:
- Lay-bye is available: deposit, then settle as agreed with the branch
- Manufacture starts once the stone is paid in full
- About 21 working days from the approved proof
- No same-day install
The 10-step guide also ties readiness for installation to full payment and confirmation that you are happy with the drawing. Pay only via account details on your quotation; send proof of payment as instructed (make a payment). Keep receipts.
We do not invent deposit percentages or rand figures in this article.
Stage 4 — Manufacture at Nkowankowa (~21 working days)
After the proof is approved and payment rules are met, the factory prepares the granite memorial — cutting, polishing, lettering, and any photo work quoted. The public factory guide explains the process without inventing awards or cemetery partnerships.
About 21 working days is the live, calm standard. Weather or operational delays can adjust this slightly — the 10-step guide says so honestly. We never promise same-day install.
Stage 5 — Confirmation that the stone is ready
You should receive confirmation (often by phone, per the remote-order guide) that production is complete or that install can be scheduled. Do not assume the stone will be ready for a fixed unveiling date until you have that confirmation in writing or on an official channel.
If relatives are travelling for an unveiling, build buffer time. Spring and long weekends are busy for cemeteries across Limpopo; early planning is kindness, not sales pressure.
Stage 6 — Site meeting and installation
Before the team leaves the yard
Family / authorised person should have:
- Cemetery permission (if required) — ask the office; we do not invent bylaws
- Key-holder or gate access arranged for the booked day
- Clear directions to the correct grave section
- Awareness of size limits already checked against the approved design
Detail checklist: .
On the day
Per the live 10-step guide: please ensure that your relative, or someone authorised by you, is present at the cemetery on install day to sign documentation and confirm that all is in order. Thabaletsi can send pictures of the installed stone if you ask.
Install within the quoted radius is part of the standard price language; beyond 100 km should already be on the quotation (see ).
If the team cannot work
Locked gates, missing permits, unmarked graves, severe weather, or no authorised person on site may require a return visit. That is an honest operational fact. Raise questions with your branch before the day so expectations stay calm.
Stage 7 — Unveil day readiness
Installation and unveiling are related but not identical. Once the stone is in place and confirmed:
- Use the tombstone unveiling checklist for ceremony planning
- Re-check cemetery rules for tents, sound, times, and bookings
- Confirm travel plans for relatives
- Follow your family’s own customs — we do not prescribe rituals
Never schedule an unveiling on the assumption that manufacture “should be finished.” Confirm first.
Photo-friendly notes (without turning grief into content)
Many families want a quiet photograph of the finished stone for relatives who could not travel. Ask your branch:
- Whether install-day photos can be sent
- Whether you may photograph after the team leaves (cemetery rules permitting)
- How photo engraving proofs were handled earlier if a portrait is on the stone
Keep dignity first. No tragedy marketing; no urgency tied to other families’ loss.
Working with branches across Limpopo (without confusion)
One family may pay at Acornhoek, approve the proof with help from Nkowankowa, and install near Tzaneen. That is normal. What matters is a single written quotation, one approved proof, and one clear install booking.
Practical habits:
- Keep all signed papers and proof-of-payment emails in one folder (paper or phone).
- Use official WhatsApp and email addresses from thabaletsi.co.za only — the 10-step guide warns about fake pages.
- If two relatives give different instructions on wording, pause and align the family before the proof is signed. Conflict after sandblasting costs more than a calm meeting now.
- Soft-pedal any urge to chase “the cheapest stone in Polokwane.” Affordable quality and a clear timeline serve the memorial better than a rushed bargain.
Closed shops are never offered as live branches in this guide.
How this fits the rest of the site (no contradiction)
| Live hub | Role |
|---|---|
| Factory guide | How the stone is made in Nkowankowa |
| 10-step remote guide | Order / pay / install presence duties |
| Prices FAQ | ~21 working days, lay-bye, no same-day |
| Unveiling checklist | Ceremony readiness after install |
| This article | Dedicated proof → unveil timeline |
| Permits checklist · includes vs extras |
We soft-pedal Polokwane cheap-chase wording. Affordable memorials, clear steps, winner-geo emphasis on Nkowankowa / Acornhoek / Metz.
Short FAQ
How long from proof to install?
About 21 working days from the approved proof, with manufacture starting once the stone is paid in full (live prices FAQ / Terms). Scheduling the physical install depends on cemetery access and booking with the branch.
Can you install the same day we pay?
No. We do not offer same-day install.
Must someone from the family be at the cemetery?
Yes — a relative or authorised person should be present to sign documentation, per the live 10-step guide. Confirm any extra cemetery-office requirements separately.
Who gets the cemetery permit?
Usually the family. Ask the cemetery office; share answers with your Thabaletsi contact. See .
Is installation included in the price?
Next calm steps
- Choose a design and request a written quote.
- Compl.
- Approve the proof carefully; finish payment / lay-bye.
- Wait for readiness confirmation; book install with access arranged.
- Plan unveiling only after the stone is confirmed in place.
From proof to unveil, the goal is the same: a lasting granite memorial, placed with care, for someone you love.