- Answers in seconds, any hour, in the business's voice, from the facts you give it.
- Reads what customers send: voice notes are transcribed, photos and PDFs are read, and it can read a website a customer shares.
- Asks the qualifying questions, such as what they need, where and when, so a lead arrives complete.
- Hands over cleanly. Ask for a person, or show you're ready to buy, and the team gets an email with the conversation.
- Works alongside your team. Staff can still reply from the WhatsApp Business app, and the assistant picks up their reply as context.
WhatsApp chatbot in South Africa: A WhatsApp assistant on your own number.
Our WhatsApp chatbot for businesses in South Africa answers every enquiry in your business's name, day and night, reads voice notes, photos, PDFs and websites, and hands the serious ones to your team with the whole conversation attached.
The position
In South Africa, customers ask on WhatsApp first. The enquiry that arrives at nine at night, or while your team is busy, is the one that goes cold. An assistant answers it in seconds with your real prices, hours and policies, asks the questions your team would ask, and passes the serious ones over with everything already written down. Your people stop typing the same answers and start with buyers who are ready.
What the assistant does
The test of an assistant isn't the clever answer. It's whether the 9pm enquiry turns into a booking before your competitor wakes up.
Chad Etkind, Co-founder and AI engineer
How it connects
The assistant runs on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform through an approved provider, on your own number. Meta requires business verification with your company details, which we take you through. After that, the assistant runs on infrastructure in your name, with your prices, policies and tone loaded, and every conversation is logged so you can see what customers ask.
For a full breakdown of build, running and Meta message costs, read what a WhatsApp chatbot costs in South Africa.
How the build moves
- 01
Tell us the questions customers ask
Prices, hours, bookings, quotes, delivery: the conversations your team has every day.
- 02
One fixed price in rand
The build, the running cost and Meta's message fees set out before anything starts.
- 03
Test it on your own phone
You chat to it before customers do, and we tune the answers until they sound like your business.
- 04
Go live on your number
Customers keep messaging the number they already know. You own the setup, or we run and improve it monthly.
Proof you can check
Message +27 78 046 3585. That is ZAIQ's own assistant, running on the same build we sell, and it answers for four brands in the ZAIQ group. The Lab demo shows what to try.
WhatsApp assistant questions
What does a WhatsApp chatbot cost in South Africa?
Our focused builds start from R8,000, with running and improvements from R4,500 a month. Meta's own message fees depend on the type of message and are set out in the quote, along with the small AI running cost.
Can it use my existing WhatsApp number?
Usually, yes. Meta lets a WhatsApp Business app number connect to its business platform, so your team keeps using the app on the phone while the assistant answers. It needs Meta business verification, which we take you through.
What happens when my team replies from the phone?
The assistant reads the reply and stays in the conversation with that context, so a person can step in at any time without the assistant talking over them or repeating itself.
Does it understand voice notes and photos?
Yes. Voice notes are transcribed and answered like text, and photos and PDFs are read. It can also read a website a customer sends and answer questions about it.
Will it make things up?
It answers from the facts your business gives it: prices, hours, policies and services. When something isn't covered, it says so and offers a person, rather than guessing.
Can I try one first?
Yes. Message ZAIQ's own assistant on +27 78 046 3585. It runs on the same build we sell.
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Custom software development
Software built around how your business actually works, AI-accelerated, yours to keep.
Put an assistant on your WhatsApp line.
Tell us what your customers ask most. We'll show you the assistant answering it and quote the build as one fixed price in rand.
Start on WhatsApp→