Marketing Automation for South African Businesses
Marketing Engine is BizAI's marketing automation for SA SMEs: email campaigns, WhatsApp Business API broadcasts and SMS marketing, sent to lists built from your CRM. Official Meta Business Partner. POPIA-ready.
Included in every BizAI plan. No add-on fee. Plans from R999/mo excl. VAT. See plans
- No credit card
- Official Meta Business Partner
- Used by 83+ SA businesses
Winter service special
List: Durban customers, opted in
- Email0 sent
- WhatsApp0 sent
- SMS0 sent
You Shouldn't Need 10 Different Tools to Market Your Business
South African small businesses waste time and money juggling disconnected marketing tools. There's a better way: one platform, built for South Africa.
Marketing Engine
One list. One inbox. One login.
Too Many Subscriptions
An email tool, WhatsApp on somebody’s phone, an SMS gateway and a spreadsheet of contacts. Each bills on its own and none of them talk to each other.
Wasting Hours on Repetitive Tasks
Copying lists between tools, sending follow-ups by hand and rebuilding the same message every month.
Leads Falling Through the Cracks
A customer asks about your service on WhatsApp, nobody follows up, and they buy from a competitor.
No Local Support
Overseas platforms bill in dollars and aren’t built for WhatsApp-first South African customers. Our support team is in Johannesburg.
One Marketing Engine. Every Channel. Completely Automated.
The Marketing Engine runs on your POPIA-ready CRM with Sage integration, so every list is built from real customer data and every reply lands back on the customer record. It is included in every plan: see pricing.
Build and send email campaigns
Build an email from blocks, pick a contact list, schedule it and watch delivered, opened and clicked come in.
Product screens with sample data.
From Setup to Sales in 3 Simple Steps
No coding required. Our Johannesburg team helps you connect WhatsApp and your email domain.
- 1
Connect Your Channels
- Connect your WhatsApp Business number through Meta (we guide you)
- Verify your sending domain for email (SPF and DKIM)
- SMS is ready to send on prepaid credits
- Your Smart CRM contacts are already connected
- 2
Build Your Campaigns
- Build emails from blocks: header, text, image, button
- Submit WhatsApp templates for Meta approval
- Build contact lists from CRM filters
- Set up email or WhatsApp drip sequences
- 3
Let Automation Work
- Workflows fire on triggers like new contacts, birthdays or inactivity
- Replies land in your shared inbox
- Opt-outs are removed from your lists
- Open and click rates on your dashboard
WhatsApp Marketing Done Right (and Legally)
Your customers are already on WhatsApp. Reach them with official WhatsApp Business API automation, templates approved by Meta, and opt-outs handled for you.
WhatsApp Business API Integration
- Connect your own number with Meta Embedded Signup
- Broadcasts to opted-in contact lists
- Response Rules for keyword auto-replies
- Every reply in your shared inbox and on the CRM record
Compliant Bulk Messaging
- Opt-in required before marketing messages
- Promotions use Meta-approved templates
- Free-form replies within 24 hours of a customer message
- “STOP” replies are detected as opt-outs
- Opt-in recorded
- Template approved by Meta
- Sent to opted-in list only
- Opt-out honoured
You opted in to messages from Mokoena Aircon
WhatsApp Business API setup, costs and automation workflows
WhatsApp Business API Setup Made Easy
As an official Meta Business Partner, BizAI connects your number through Meta's own sign-in (Embedded Signup). There is no paperwork and no waiting: with a working number, setup takes about 10 minutes.
Phone Number Setup
Use a number that can receive an SMS or a voice call, so Meta can send it a verification code. Keep it in a phone you can reach during setup.
Business Verification
Optional. You can start sending without verifying your business with Meta. Unverified businesses can broadcast to up to 250 people in a rolling 24 hours, and replies to customers are not limited. Verify later if you need to broadcast to more people.
Go Live
Add a payment method to your Meta account, import contacts from your CRM, submit your message templates and set up your first workflows.
WhatsApp Marketing Costs for South African Businesses
The Marketing Engine has no separate fee: it is included in every BizAI plan. Meta bills WhatsApp messages directly to your WhatsApp Business Account, by category (marketing, utility and authentication), with no BizAI markup. Replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are not charged by Meta.
WhatsApp Marketing Automation Workflows
- Welcome message when a contact is added to a list
- Booking reminders before an appointment
- Birthday offers from a date on the customer record
- Re-engagement after a period of inactivity
- A follow-up when a campaign email is not opened
WhatsApp Business API Setup Checklist
Step-by-step guide to get approved and start automating WhatsApp for your business
Sending domain
news.mokoenaaircon.co.za
Mokoena Aircon
Is your aircon ready for winter?
Your monthly statement is ready
Email Marketing That Converts
Email is still one of the best-value marketing channels. Create, schedule and automate campaigns from your own verified domain, sent to lists built from your CRM.
Block-Based Builder
Build emails from blocks: header, text, image, button, divider, social and footer. No code.
Automated Sequences
Email drip sequences send the next email on schedule, from welcome series to post-service follow-ups.
Smart Segmentation
Dynamic lists from CRM fields, invoices, quotes, bookings and activity.
Open and Click Tracking
See delivered, opened and clicked for every campaign, plus the best time to send.
Email marketing automation, segmentation and deliverability
Email Marketing Automation for South African SMEs
Set up drip campaigns that nurture leads, turn prospects into customers and bring one-time buyers back, while you run your business. Build the sequences that fit you:
- Welcome series for new subscribers
- Lead nurture that moves prospects towards a quote
- Post-service thank-you and review requests
- Re-engagement for customers you haven't heard from
Smart List Segmentation
Dynamic lists filter customers or leads on any CRM field, custom fields, and related invoices, quotes, bookings, opportunities and activities, for example:
- Customers in Durban with no invoice in 90 days
- Leads at a pipeline stage, or above a lead score
- Customers with a booking in the last 30 days
Email Deliverability Best Practices for South Africa
- Send from your own domain, authenticated with SPF and DKIM
- Bounces are tracked, and workflows can react to them
- An unsubscribe link in every campaign
- Replies asking to stop are detected as opt-outs
Built for POPIA Compliance
Unsubscribes and opt-outs are honoured automatically, and lists can filter on marketing consent, so you only email people who agreed to hear from you.
Seamless Integration with Smart CRM
Lists come straight from your Smart CRM data. Workflows can start when a campaign email is opened, clicked, replied to or not opened, and replies land in the shared inbox. Pair it with the Support Desk to follow up after a job is closed.
POPIA Data Processing Agreement included.
Be Everywhere Your Customers Are
Your customers don't live on one platform. Reach them by WhatsApp, email and SMS, and answer Facebook and Instagram messages, all from one dashboard.
New lead
Added to list
WhatsApp
Welcome, delivered
Email
Not opened
SMS
Reminder sent
Inbox
“Yes, book me in”
SMS Campaigns
- Bulk SMS broadcasts to your lists
- Schedule sends ahead of time
- Replies land in your shared inbox
- Prepaid at R0,38 per SMS part
Facebook & Instagram Messages
- Facebook and Instagram DMs in the same inbox
- Comments on your posts, ready to answer
- Every conversation on the customer record
Cross-Channel Automation
- WhatsApp, email and SMS steps in one workflow
- Waits between steps
- Branch on “campaign not opened” or “no reply”
SMS marketing for South African businesses
SMS Marketing Campaigns for South African Businesses
SMS reaches customers without data or an app, which makes it a good fit for appointment reminders, time-sensitive promotions and delivery notices. Send from the Marketing Engine on prepaid credits.
Two-Way SMS Conversations
Customers can reply to your SMS. Replies land in the shared inbox, are linked to the broadcast, and your team answers from one place.
SMS Campaign Best Practices
- Keep it under 160 characters so it sends as one part
- Put your business name in every message
- Send on weekdays in business hours; avoid early mornings and late evenings
- Get consent first and tell people how to opt out
SMS Marketing Use Cases for South African SMEs
- Medical practices: appointment and annual check-up reminders
- Retail: flash sales and back-in-stock alerts
- Restaurants: booking confirmations and daily specials
- Automotive: service-due and vehicle-ready alerts
- Professional services: meeting reminders and overdue invoice nudges
- Real estate: viewing confirmations and new listing alerts
Data-Driven Decisions. Better Results.
Stop guessing what's working. See how every campaign performed and when your customers are most likely to read.
Product screen with sample data.
Campaign Performance
Delivered, opened and clicked for every campaign, with open and click rates.
Best Time to Send
See when your list opens most and schedule for then.
Response Dashboards
Email and WhatsApp replies in one view, so no answer goes unread.
Lead Scoring
Smart CRM scores leads, so you know who to call after a campaign.
Do I need technical skills to use the Marketing Engine?
Not at all. The platform is designed for small business owners, not developers. Emails are built from ready-made blocks, lists are built with simple filters, and workflows can start from a template or a plain-English description. Our Johannesburg support team helps you connect WhatsApp and your email domain.
How does WhatsApp Business API work? Do I need approval?
No paperwork and no waiting. You connect your WhatsApp Business number through Meta's own sign-in (Embedded Signup) inside BizAI. The number must be able to receive an SMS or a voice call for Meta's verification code, and you add a payment method to your Meta account. With a working number, setup takes about 10 minutes. Verifying your business with Meta is optional: unverified businesses can send broadcasts to up to 250 people in a rolling 24 hours, and replies to customers are not limited.
Can I use my existing email list and customer data?
Yes. Export your list from Mailchimp or any other platform as a CSV file and import it, or use the customers already in your Smart CRM. All data is encrypted and processed in accordance with POPIA requirements.
What if I already have Mailchimp or another marketing tool?
No problem. Import your lists and run your campaigns from BizAI instead, with your CRM, WhatsApp, email and SMS in one place. You're free to keep any tool that works for you.
How much does WhatsApp messaging cost?
You connect your own WhatsApp Business number to BizAI via Meta OAuth (Embedded Signup), and we guide you through it. Messages are billed by Meta directly to your WhatsApp Business Account — utility, marketing and authentication rates are set by Meta, and you add a payment method in Meta Business Manager. There is no BizAI message bundle and no per-message markup; you pay Meta only for the conversations you initiate.
Does the Marketing Engine cost extra?
No. The Marketing Engine is included in every BizAI plan at no extra fee. You pay only for what you send: email bundles from R149 for 2 500 emails, SMS at R0,38 per part, and WhatsApp fees billed by Meta directly to your account.
Can I send bulk messages without being blocked or flagged?
Yes, as long as you follow WhatsApp's policies: customers must opt in, promotions use message templates approved by Meta, and opt-outs are honoured. Replies like "STOP" are detected and the contact is removed from your marketing lists.
Do you integrate with South African SMS gateways?
Yes. SMS is sent through a South African SMS gateway on prepaid credits at R0,38 per SMS part, with no separate gateway account to set up. Replies come back into your shared inbox.
What happens to my campaigns if I cancel?
You can export all your customer data, campaign history, and analytics before you leave. There are no lock-ins or cancellation fees. We believe in earning your business every month.
Is there a free trial?
Yes! 14-day free trial, no credit card required. You get full access to WhatsApp, email, SMS, and all automation features.
How is this different from HubSpot or Mailchimp?
HubSpot and Mailchimp are built for overseas markets and bill in dollars. BizAI is built for South Africa: WhatsApp Business API, email and SMS in one platform with your CRM and Sage integration, Rand pricing, POPIA-ready, and a support team in Johannesburg.
Ready to Automate Your Marketing?
The Marketing Engine is included in every BizAI plan. Try it free for 14 days, with Smart CRM and the AI receptionist when you are ready.