Published - Wed, 26-Jun-2024

How to Set Up WhatsApp Business in South Africa?

How to Set Up WhatsApp Business in South Africa?

If your business has a Facebook/Instagram identity, it would be unwise not to use WhatsApp to engage with customers. Since all three platforms are Meta products, they work seamlessly with each other. As WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging app in South Africa, it is a great tool for conversational marketing. Let's discuss how to set up a WhatsApp Business Account and how it can help you generate leads in South Africa.

WhatsApp - The Most Popular Instant Messaging App in South Africa

In South Africa, we use WhatsApp for our day-to-day conversational needs. Whether it is friends, family, or work colleagues, we always think of having 'WhatsApp' for easy conversation anytime, anywhere. Meta products such as Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp have rooted their presence in South Africa for a long time. The familiarity with these apps is also one of the reasons why South Africans would continue to use them for a long time.

In 2024, you can use WhatsApp for personal messages, business conversations, or creating influencer channels and communities. For businesses, WhatsApp even has a business version of the app. It also allows you to list your product catalogue, something you cannot do on Facebook or Instagram anymore. Let's see how you, as a business, can set up an account and generate leads on WhatsApp Business.

How does WhatsApp help you generate leads in South Africa?

WhatsApp is a peer-to-peer message app that focuses on creating personal experiences. As a business, WhatsApp allows you to provide a personalised and unique experience to your customers. You can either generate leads on WhatsApp via an Instagram or Facebook advertisement or other platforms, such as your website or other social media platforms with a short link. 

If you are setting up an ad through Meta, you get an option to redirect ad visitors to your WhatsApp business account. Or, you can include the link directly in your posts and boost the post for some easy advertising.

As South Africa finds WhatsApp effective for communications, interested customers are likely to contact your business via WhatsApp. From here onwards, you can focus on personalising your customers' experience and provide them with the relevant services they require from you.

For all these WhatsApp business-related activities, you will require a WhatsApp Business Account. Let's see how that works.

Let's set up WhatsApp Business in South Africa

To make a WhatsApp Business account, you need to download the WhatsApp business app. You can search for the business app on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Once installed, open the app. The initial setup is similar to setting up a personal WhatsApp account. If you already have a personal WhatsApp account, you can migrate that account to the Business app. This will include all the media and your chat history as well. If you are registering the account with a new number, you will have to verify it by putting in the 6-digit code you receive via SMS.

In the next step, you have the option to set your profile picture, name, and category of your business. After that, you can start working on your business profile.

In the business profile, you can customise your profile picture, name, and your address. Furthermore, you can set your category, description, and business hours. Furthermore, you can also add details like your email, website, and any social media accounts.

WhatsApp Business Tools

You are downloading WhatsApp Business App for a reason. You want the business tools to efficiently manage your WhatsApp business account so that you can focus on other important matters. So, let's explore these business tools.

To access WhatsApp Business Tools, tap on More Options on Android or Settings on iPhone, then select Business Tools.

WhatsApp Business tools allow you to;

  • Set a Product Catalogue. In the catalogue, you can display your product pictures, name, and price information. You can group these catalogues into categories as you like.

  • Setting a Short Link. A short link allows a customer to connect with you over WhatsApp directly. WhatsApp Business will auto-generate a short link for your business which you can share with your customers, on your website, or via your Facebook Page or Instagram Handle.

  • Using Messaging Tools. The messaging tools help you stay on top of every received message. When it comes to customer service, lower downtimes in sending responses often yield a better result. On WhatsApp, you can set three different types of automated responses: Greeting Messages, Away Messages, and Quick Replies.

  • Creating Labels. Being organised is one way to stay on top of things. One way of doing it is by labelling your conversations. By labelling conversations into helpful categories, you can prioritise services or orders more efficiently and effectively.

We can use WhatsApp on three different platforms: Web/Desktop, Android, and iOS. While the general experience is the same, there are a few variations with the setup process. We highly recommend you check out the WhatsApp FAQ section for all your answers.

Final Words

WhatsApp Business claims to generate 5x more leads for South African businesses. You can set up a WhatsApp Business account within 30 minutes in South Africa and are ready to go!

If you require any help with WhatsApp or Facebook marketing, feel free to connect with us. Meanwhile, if you are looking to open your e-commerce shop on Takealot, we have an excellent course for you. The Takealot Seller Course covers all the fundamentals of being a successful Takealot seller in South Africa. And it is for FREE for a limited time! Take advantage of the offer and find success in selling on Takealot in South Africa.

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