The WhatsApp toolkit for South African small business

Sell. Get paid.
Grow.
All on WhatsApp.

Bestel is the complete WhatsApp toolkit for small business — branded ordering, card payments, marketing, loyalty and one team inbox. Your customers never leave the chat. You never miss a sale.

See how it works WhatsApp us
Built on the official WhatsApp Business Platform · Payments by Yoco, iKhokha, SnapScan or SimplyBlu
∞ Firu Ai is a Meta Tech Provider
14:02
Powering ordering for KepuGas & Taurus Gas | "41 orders in the first week — and nobody phoned us once." — KepuGas, Cape Town
How it works

Live in days, not months.

No app to build. No website needed. Your customers already have WhatsApp — we turn it into your ordering channel.

5 minutes
1

Connect WhatsApp

Sign in with Facebook and connect (or create) your WhatsApp Business number — right from this site, using Meta's official embedded signup. No developer needed.

We do this
2

We build your menu

Send us your products, prices and logo. We craft a branded in-chat ordering experience: product cards, quantities, delivery or collection, the works.

Go live
3

Get paid

Every order returns a secure Yoco card-payment link in the chat. Payment confirmed on WhatsApp, instantly — for you and your customer.

One dashboard

Everything that happens on WhatsApp, on one screen.

Orders and conversations don't live on someone's phone anymore. Your whole team works from the same live view — no more "check my phone".

app.bestel.co.za/dashboard

Shared team inbox

Every customer conversation in one place. Reply as the business, assign chats, and take over from the bot with one click.

Branded in-chat ordering

A native WhatsApp Flow with your logo, your products and live totals — not a link to some external website.

WhatsApp catalogue

Customers browse your products natively in WhatsApp and send a cart. Synced with Meta Commerce Manager and managed from your dashboard — carts and menu orders land in the same place.

Message & sales metrics

Sent, delivered, read, replied. Orders, revenue and conversion — per day, per template, per campaign.

Template studio

Build WhatsApp message templates with a live preview, submit them to Meta for approval, and track their status — without touching Meta Business Manager.

Human handoff

Customers who need a person get one. Keyword-triggered escalation alerts your staff on WhatsApp and mutes the bot while they handle it.

Competitions

Spin-the-wheel and scratch cards that grow your opted-in audience — with the CPA compliance pack generated and attorney-certified for you.

See it in the dashboard preview

Loyalty that runs itself

Digital stamp cards, refer-a-friend rewards and birthday vouchers — stamps added automatically when orders are paid. No apps, no plastic cards, no admin.

One inbox, every channel

WhatsApp, email and SMS in a single timeline per customer. Your team answers everything from one screen — no tab juggling.

Also in the box — and on the way
Missed call? Auto-WhatsApp with your menu
Voice-note ordering — we turn it into an order
Post-delivery review click — straight to Google
Owner's daily digest on your personal WhatsApp
Invoice chasing with pay links attached
Airtime & data rewards instead of discounts
Stokvel & group orders with split payments
Quote → accept → deposit for services & trades
Facebook & Instagram ads that open your WhatsApp
Ad spend optimised on real paid orders, not clicks
Templates in isiZulu · isiXhosa · Afrikaans
Loyalty & competitions

Rewards your customers can see. Right in the chat.

No punch cards to lose, no apps to download. Stamps, prizes and vouchers arrive as WhatsApp messages — automatically.

14:02
KepuGas
✅ Payment received!
Order #1051 confirmed — 9kg refill, delivery tomorrow.
💳 Stamp added!
✓✓✓✓
4 of 5 — one more refill and your delivery is free.
🙌
🎉 Card complete!
Your next delivery is on us, Sipho. Applied automatically to your next order.

Loyalty on autopilot

Every paid order adds a stamp. Full card? The reward applies itself. Your regulars feel it — you do nothing.

14:02
KepuGas
SPIN
🎡 Spin & Win is live!
Tap below for your spin — everyone wins something today.
🎡 Spin the wheel
🎉 R50 off your next order!
Show this code or order right here on WhatsApp:
KEPU-R50-8H2K
Valid 72 hours · min. order R200
Competition rules: kepugas.co.za/rules · certified per CPA s36

Competitions that build your list

Scan the counter QR, opt in, spin, win. Every play grows your marketable audience — and every voucher tracks to a real order.

Run competitions by the book — independent attorney sign-off, arranged for you.

South African law requires promotional prize draws to be overseen and certified by an independent attorney, auditor or accountant. Bestel generates your official rules and full compliance records, and arranges certification by an independent practising attorney — most businesses skip this and don't know they're exposed.

Payments

Take payments your way.

Bring your own payment provider — the money goes straight into your account. Cards today, pay-by-bank next. We support South Africa's favourites.

Card & wallet (your merchant account, your money)
Recommended
  • Your Yoco catalogue is the single source of truth for products & prices
  • Instant secure checkout links, generated per order
  • Payment confirmation pushed back into the chat automatically
  • Full test mode before you go live
Also supported
  • Great rates on online card & Instant EFT payments
  • Secure pay links generated per order, signed callbacks verified
  • Self-service API keys from your iKhokha dashboard
  • Products managed via your price list or Shopify
Also supported
  • Pay links your customers tap — card, Instant EFT or the SnapScan app
  • Next-business-day settlement into Standard Bank accounts
  • Built-in duplicate-payment protection per order
  • Products managed via your price list or Shopify
Also supported
  • Ideal if your business already banks with Standard Bank
  • Branded hosted checkout page, served by us
  • Signed payment verification on every transaction
  • Products managed via your price list or Shopify
Pay by bank (no card needed — the customer approves in their banking app)
ozow
On the roadmap
  • Instant EFT — paid straight from the customer's bank account
  • Reaches customers who bank but have no usable card
  • Pay link, QR or SMS — all land back in the same chat
Stitch
On the roadmap
  • Capitec Pay — approved in the Capitec app, no banking login
  • Absa Pay and PayShap requests from the same integration
  • One-click repeat payments for your regulars
FNB
On the roadmap
  • For businesses that already bank with FNB
  • Card transactions routed straight to your own bank
  • One point of contact for settlement and support
Integrations & automations

Plays nicely with everything you already run.

Bestel isn't another silo. Keep your products where they live today — and let every order flow to wherever your business needs it.

shopify

Products, draft orders and inventory — synced both ways. Sell on WhatsApp, reconcile in Shopify.

WooWooCommerce

Your WooCommerce catalogue becomes a WhatsApp menu; orders land back in WordPress.

eecwid

Live product and order sync over Ecwid's webhooks — by Lightspeed.

bbookem

Bookings on WhatsApp: confirmations, meeting reminders and patient or client follow-ups — synced with your Bookem diary.

Every order, everywhere it matters. Instantly.

The moment an order is paid — or a message lands — Bestel routes it wherever your team actually works. No copy-paste. No "did you see the WhatsApp?"

If it has an API, we can plug Bestel into it. Custom automations included on Growth & Pro.
Order paid ✓Your driver's WhatsApp
New orderGoogle Sheets register
New orderYour store's admin
Customer messageTeam email inbox
Happy customerGoogle review, one tap
AnythingAny app with an API
Pricing

Simple plans. Serious ordering.

Once-off setup covers your branded menu build, payment integration and go-live testing. Monthly covers hosting, the dashboard and support.

Starter

Single store, straightforward menu
R950/month
+ R8,500 once-off setup
  • 1 WhatsApp number, 1 branded ordering flow
  • Yoco card payments in chat
  • Team inbox & order log
  • Monthly price/menu update included
Most popular

Growth

Busy stores & delivery businesses
R1,850/month
+ R12,500 once-off setup
  • Everything in Starter
  • Template studio + Meta approval handling
  • Message & sales metrics dashboard
  • Human handoff & staff alerts
  • Abandoned-order nudges
  • Engagement suite — wheel, loyalty cards, referrals

Pro

Multi-branch & Shopify-integrated
R3,500/month
+ setup quoted
  • Everything in Growth
  • Multiple numbers / branches
  • Shopify draft-order & inventory sync
  • Marketing suite — campaigns, segments & automated journeys
  • Priority support
All prices in ZAR excl. VAT. Meta's per-message fees are billed by Meta directly to your card; most in-chat order conversations cost R0.
How Bestel compares (typical South African options for the same job)
BestelPopular DIY toolsCustom agency build
Monthly priceR950 – R3,500R1,000 – R6,500 + add-onsR18,000+ retainer
Markup on WhatsApp message feesR0 — Meta bills you at costUp to 20% hidden markupVaries
Commission on your sales0%Up to 3% on some tools0%
South African payments (Yoco, iKhokha, SnapScan)✓ Built in✗ Stripe/India-focusedIf you pay for it
Branded ordering flows✓ Built for you✗ DIY templates✓ R18k – R65k setup
Loyalty, competitions & attorney-certified compliance✓ Included✗Quoted extra
Who does the workWe doYou doThey do — at 3–7× the price
What messages cost

Cheaper than SMS. And you're billed at cost.

Meta charges per message and bills your card directly — we add nothing on top. Here's what that actually looks like next to SMS, at South African rates.

WhatsApp via BestelSMS
Order updates, payment links, receipts~R0.14 per messageR0.18 – R0.35 per 160 characters
A full order conversation~R0.15 – R0.30 — Bestel consolidates replies & uses Flowsevery reply, both ways, is a full-price SMS
Promotional campaigns~R0.68 — with images, buttons & tap-to-orderR0.18+ for plain text only; 2–3 segments closes the gap
Customer messages you first (QR scan, saved number, wa.me link)Free to receive — replies ~R0.14 each, first 1,000 a month per number freenot possible — customers can't start an SMS conversation with a business
Chats from your Facebook/Instagram adsR0 for 72 hours — completely free windown/a
Heads-up, honestly given: since 1 October 2026 Meta charges (~R0.14) for replies inside the 24-hour service window, after 1,000 free replies per WhatsApp number each month. Bestel is built for this — consolidated replies and in-chat Flows keep a whole order conversation around the price of two SMSes. Meta bills in US dollars, so rand figures shift with the USD/ZAR exchange rate (shown here at ±R18/$). Rates are Meta's, can change quarterly, and are billed to your card directly — never marked up by us.
FAQ

Questions, answered.

Do my customers need to install anything?

No. Ordering happens inside a normal WhatsApp chat using WhatsApp's native forms. If they can send a message, they can order.

Can I keep my existing WhatsApp number?

Yes — during signup you connect your existing WhatsApp Business number, or create a new one. Numbers currently on the WhatsApp Business app can be migrated.

Who handles the money?

You do. Payments go straight into your own Yoco, iKhokha, SnapScan or SimplyBlu account. Bestel never touches your funds.

What does WhatsApp itself charge?

Meta bills you directly (card added during signup), per message. An entire order conversation — menu, total, payment confirmation — typically costs a few cents. Promotional campaign messages cost more (roughly 70c each), which is why the dashboard shows the cost next to every campaign before you send it.

What if a customer needs a human?

They get one. Any customer can ask for a person; your staff get an instant WhatsApp alert and the bot steps aside while they handle the conversation from the dashboard.

How do customers actually order — a form or a catalogue?

Both. You get a branded in-chat order form (menu, quantities, delivery or collection) and a native WhatsApp catalogue customers can browse and send carts from. Either way the order lands in the same dashboard with a pay link sent automatically.

Does it work with my Shopify, WooCommerce or Ecwid store?

Yes. Your store stays the source of truth — products sync into WhatsApp, and orders flow back into your store's admin for stock and reporting. No double capture.

I take bookings, not orders. Can I use Bestel?

Yes — connect Bookem and WhatsApp becomes your front desk: booking confirmations, meeting reminders and patient or client follow-ups, synced with your diary.

Can I send promotions to my customers?

Yes — campaigns go to customers who opted in (POPIA-compliant), with segments like repeat buyers or lapsed customers, plus automated journeys like abandoned-order nudges and win-backs. Opt-outs and WhatsApp's messaging rules are handled for you automatically.

Where do my orders end up?

Wherever you work: the Bestel dashboard, your store's admin, a Google Sheet, your team's email — and instant alerts to any WhatsApp number, like your driver's. You choose the routes; we set them up.

How do price changes work?

Send us your new price list (or update your Yoco catalogue) and we roll it out to your menu — included monthly on every plan.

Contact

Talk to a human.

Questions about pricing, setup, or whether Bestel fits how your business actually works? Message us on WhatsApp for the fastest answer — or email us and we'll come back to you within one business day.

WhatsApp us

The quickest way to reach us — and a live demo of exactly what your customers will experience.

Chat on WhatsApp

Email us

Prefer email? Send us the details of your business and we'll reply within one business day.

Firu Ai · Cape Town, South Africa · Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00 SAST

Your customers are already on WhatsApp.
Start taking their orders there.

Connect your number in five minutes. We'll handle the rest.

Save & exit

Create your account

Tell us about your business — this takes one minute.

or create an account with your email:

Login with Facebook

Bestel wants to connect your WhatsApp Business Account

Meta's embedded signup will walk you through these steps in this popup:

1 Log into Facebook & choose your business portfolio
2 Select or create a WhatsApp Business Account
3 Add your phone number & verify by SMS
4 Grant Bestel permission to send & manage messages

This mockup simulates Meta's popup. In production this is Meta's real embedded-signup dialog (FB.login with our config_id).