WhatsApp marketing

The channel your customers actually open.

WhatsApp broadcasts reach 90%-plus open rates in South Africa, where email struggles past 25%. We build the opt-in list, run the campaigns, answer the replies and measure revenue per send, as an add-on to ad management.

Last updated 2026-11-14

The method

Five steps. Every week.

01Trackpixel + CAPI02Feedevery variant right03Createoffers, weekly04Testkill losers fast05Scalewhen return holds then repeat, every week

What you get

How we run WhatsApp for a brand

WhatsApp is where South Africans already talk to businesses, which is why Meta lead ads that land in WhatsApp outperform every form we have tested. The difference between a channel that prints money and one that gets you blocked is consent, cadence and a human on the other end.

We set up the WhatsApp Business Platform account and templates, build opt-in at checkout, on-site and through ads, and run a calendar of broadcasts: launches, restocks, sales, loyalty, reviews requests. Abandoned-cart and order-update flows run automatically. Replies are handled by your team or ours, inside a shared inbox with tags and follow-ups.

  • Opt-in growth from ads, checkout and site prompts, with the consent record kept.
  • Broadcast campaigns written, scheduled, segmented and measured by revenue per send.
  • Automated flows: abandoned cart, order updates, delivery, review requests, win-back.
  • Sales conversations for high-ticket products, from consultation to invoice, tracked back to the ad that started them.
  • Deliverability hygiene: undeliverable and opted-out numbers removed automatically so quality rating stays green.

See the pet food, jewellery and white-label cosmetics case studies for accounts where WhatsApp carries a large share of revenue.

Related

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Google Ads

Google Ads management for South African e-commerce and service businesses: Search, Shopping and Performance Max on a product feed we build and maintain. From R12,000 a month plus your ad spend.

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ChatGPT / OpenAI Ads

Hero Digital runs advertising inside ChatGPT (OpenAI ads) for e-commerce and service brands. Early inventory, low competition, intent-rich placements. Managed alongside Meta and Google from R12,000 a month.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is WhatsApp marketing legal in South Africa?

Yes, with consent. POPIA requires opt-in, an easy opt-out and a record of both. We build the opt-in and keep the records, and we never buy or import lists.

What does a WhatsApp broadcast cost?

Meta charges per conversation, roughly R0.50 to R1.50 per marketing message in South Africa depending on volume, plus our management as an add-on to the retainer. A broadcast to 5,000 opted-in customers typically costs under R7,500 in platform fees and returns several multiples of that on a decent offer.

Can I do WhatsApp without the ads?

We offer it to ad-management clients only. The list grows from the ads and the ads get measured through the conversations; separately they are both weaker.

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Four questions, two minutes. If we are not a fit the form tells you before anyone’s time is spent. From R12,000 a month plus your ad spend.

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