Many South African businesses already take orders and questions on WhatsApp. The question is whether the free WhatsApp Business app is enough, or whether it is time to automate. The answer depends on how many chats you handle and how many people need to answer them.

What the WhatsApp Business app does

The WhatsApp Business app is free and runs on a phone. It adds a business profile and a few tools to normal WhatsApp. It works well for one person, or a very small team, who can look at the phone all day.

  • A business profile with your hours, address and website
  • Quick replies for the questions you answer every day
  • Labels to mark new customers, orders and follow-ups
  • A greeting message and an away message
  • A catalogue of your products or services

Where the app runs out of room

  • One number works on a phone and a few linked devices, which is not the same as a shared team inbox
  • Nothing answers when nobody is there, apart from one away message
  • Customer details stay inside chats, not in a system you can search or report on
  • Orders and bookings arrive as free text that someone has to retype

What automation adds

Automation uses the WhatsApp Business Platform, which is the version made for software. Messages go through a provider that Meta has approved. A system can answer common questions, show menus, collect details, take bookings and pass the chat to a person when needed.

Rules to know before you start

  • Customers must agree to hear from you. Do not message people who have not contacted you or opted in.
  • After a customer writes to you, you can reply freely for 24 hours. After that, you must use a message template that Meta has approved.
  • Meta charges for some kinds of message and its prices change, so ask your provider to explain the current fees in writing.
  • Your number has to be set up for the platform. Ask your provider whether you can keep the number you use today.

How to decide

Stay on the app if one or two people handle a few dozen chats a day and nothing gets lost. Look at automation when chats pile up after hours, when several people need to answer from one number, or when you keep retyping the same orders and bookings into a spreadsheet.