South Africa
Bookings and classes
WhatsApp booking software in South Africa, with deposits by card or EFT
Clients book appointments and classes right inside WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook. They see only the slots that are free, pay a deposit by card or EFT to hold the time, and get a reminder the day before.
Live slots per staff member
Deposits by card or EFT
Day-before reminders
Classes and waitlists
Appointment booking
The flow
From a question to a confirmed booking in the chat
The client never leaves WhatsApp.
01
The client asks
They message on any channel, or tap your booking page link from your Instagram bio or Google profile.
02
Only real slots
DMly reads each staff member's calendar and offers only times that are actually free.
03
A deposit holds it
A payment link goes out in the chat. They pay by card or EFT through Paystack, or by card through Flutterwave.
04
Reminded the day before
A confirmation straight away and a reminder the day before, with your address and the time.
What it handles
Appointments, classes and staff calendars
One booking system for the whole team.
Services
Your menu, your prices
Each service has its own length, price and deposit, so a quick trim and a full colour are booked differently.
Staff
A calendar per person
Clients choose the stylist, trainer or practitioner they want, and only that person's free slots show.
Classes
Capacity and waitlists
Spin, yoga, boot camp or a tutoring group with a headcount limit. When someone cancels, the waitlist fills the gap.
Google Calendar
Synced per staff member
Each person's bookings appear in their own Google Calendar, so the whole team works from one up to date diary.
Booking page
A link for your bio
Share your booking page link on Instagram, TikTok, Google or your website, and every booking lands in the same diary.
Payments
Deposits or full payment
Ask for a deposit or the full price before the booking is confirmed, with the receipt sent in the chat.
The settings
The four settings that do most of the work
Set them once and the diary mostly runs itself.
Deposits from 1 to 99 per cent
Nothing on a R150 trim, a third up front on a R1,800 colour. The deposit comes off the final bill, so it feels fair.
A no-show fee if you want one
Switch on a no-show fee for the services where empty chairs hurt most, and the terms show in the chat before the client pays.
Reminders the day before
A reminder goes out the day before every booking, in your wording, with your address, so clients turn up on time or tell you early that they cannot make it.
Full payment for classes
For a class with limited spaces, take the full price at booking so the space only goes to someone who has paid.
Load-shedding
Bookings and reminders that carry on when the power goes off
Load-shedding does not cancel your clients' appointments, and it should not cancel your booking flow either.
The booking flow runs in the cloud
DMly does not live on a computer at your reception. When your shop's power is off, clients can still message, see your free slots and pay a deposit.
Reminders reach phones on mobile data
WhatsApp works on mobile data, so a day-before reminder still reaches a client whose home or office has no power. It is a chat message, not a website they need to load.
Your team answers from their phones
Staff can work the shared inbox from a phone on data while the router is down, and pick up on a laptop once the power is back.
A class booking
A gym class in Menlyn, booked and paid in one chat
Illustrative conversation for a fictional gym.
Capacity respected
Only classes with space are offered.
Paid before it is held
The space is confirmed once the payment lands.
Waitlist ready
If someone drops out, the next person is offered the spot.
Compare
Booking by phone against booking in the chat
Same client, two very different experiences.
Why DMly
Why businesses in South Africa choose DMly
The chats your customers already start on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, answered, booked and paid for in one place.
01The official WhatsApp APIRuns on Meta's official WhatsApp Business API on your own number, and the WhatsApp Business app keeps working on your phone.
02Every channel, one inboxWhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, Google Business Profile and website chat, answered by one team.
03Card and EFT in the chatSend Paystack payment links and invoices for card or EFT, or card through Flutterwave. DMly adds no fee.
04An AI agent on every planTrained on your services, prices and hours. It answers day and night, books, and hands over to your team with the chat attached.
05Meta's costs, nothing addedA marketing message costs about R0.63 and a utility message about R0.16 at Meta's South Africa rate. Incoming messages are free.
06Set up with you, freeOur team helps with Meta business verification and builds your setup with you on a video call, at no cost.
Questions
Booking software questions from South African owners
Can clients book on WhatsApp in South Africa without downloading an app?
Yes. They book inside the WhatsApp chat they already use, or through your booking page link. There is nothing for them to install.
Can I take deposits by EFT?
Yes. Deposit links through Paystack take card and EFT, and links through Flutterwave take card. The money goes to your own payment account, and DMly adds no fee.
Does it work for gym classes and group sessions?
Yes. Set a capacity for each class, take payment when the space is booked, and use the waitlist to fill cancellations.
Will reminders still go out during load-shedding?
Yes. DMly runs in the cloud and sends the day-before reminder whatever the power is doing at your shop. Clients receive it on mobile data like any other WhatsApp message.
Does it sync with Google Calendar?
Yes, per staff member. Each person's bookings show in their own Google Calendar.
Can I charge a no-show fee?
Yes, as an option per service. The terms show in the chat before the client pays, so everyone knows what was agreed.
Fill your diary without answering the phone
Seven days free, no card needed. Our team sets it up with you on a video call.