South Africa
For restaurants, cafes, shisa nyama and delivery kitchens
WhatsApp ordering and table bookings for restaurants in South Africa
Your menu in the chat, orders paid by card or EFT before anything leaves the kitchen, table bookings that do not clash, and a Friday message to regulars who asked to hear from you.
Menu in the chat
Pay before dispatch
Table bookings
Order updates
From menu to order
The problem
Where food businesses lose orders and covers
The food is not the problem. The phone is.
Menu photos
Nobody can read the PDF
A blurry menu picture means five messages back and forth before anyone actually orders.
Mixed up orders
Was that two wors rolls or three?
Orders typed in a hurry get lost in the chat, and the wrong food goes out.
Unpaid orders
The driver left before the EFT arrived
Cooking and sending food before the money clears leaves you chasing payments late at night.
Clashing bookings
Two groups, one long table
Bookings scattered across a notebook, a phone and a staff WhatsApp group collide on a Saturday.
Busy lines
Nobody answers at 18:00
The rush is exactly when customers message most and staff have the least time to reply.
Quiet weekdays
No easy way to fill Tuesday
You have hundreds of past customers in your phone and no tidy way to tell the ones who opted in about a special.
The conversation
An order taken, paid and on its way in one chat
A Soweto customer ordering from a fictional shisa nyama on a Friday evening.
The menu answers itself
The AI agent knows your menu, prices, delivery areas and hours, and replies straight away.
Payment comes first
A Paystack link takes card or EFT, so the order is only confirmed to the kitchen once it is paid.
Customers are kept posted
A message goes out when the order leaves, so nobody phones to ask where the food is.
How it works
From hungry to ordering again
One flow for delivery, collection and table bookings.
01
They find you
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or your Google Business Profile. One tap opens the chat.
02
They order or book
Menu items and prices in the chat, or a table for the number of people and the time they want.
03
They pay
A card or EFT payment link in the chat, with the receipt sent automatically. Large table bookings can carry a deposit.
04
They are kept posted
Order confirmed, order on its way, or a reminder on the day of the booking.
05
They come back
Every customer gets a Google review request, and opted-in regulars get your specials.
Who it is for
Built for the way you serve
Restaurants
Tables without the clash
Bookings by party size and time, a deposit for big groups if you want one, and a reminder on the day.
Cafes
Collection orders for the morning rush
Customers order and pay before they arrive, so the coffee and toasties are ready to collect.
Shisa nyama
Weekend crowds, sorted
Platters and meat orders taken and paid in the chat, so the braai masters stay at the fire.
Delivery kitchens
Every order paid before dispatch
No unpaid food on the road. The order only goes to the kitchen once the payment is confirmed.
What changes
What the kitchen and front of house gain
Nobody is stuck on the phone
The agent handles delivery fees, opening hours and menu questions, so staff can cook and serve.
Money before food
Card and EFT payments land before the order is made, which ends the late night chasing.
Bookings in one place
Every table booking sits in one calendar instead of three phones and a notebook.
A way to fill quiet nights
A broadcast to customers who opted in can share a midweek special in minutes.
What you switch on
What a restaurant runs on DMly
Card or EFT
Payment links in the chat through Paystack, with receipts sent automatically.
24/7
Menu, hours and delivery questions answered at any hour.
1 inbox
WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile and website chat in one place.
Opt-in only
Broadcasts go to customers who agreed to hear from you, with opt-outs honoured.
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
What restaurant owners in South Africa ask us
Can customers order food on WhatsApp and pay before delivery?
Yes. Customers order in the chat and pay by card or EFT through a Paystack link, or by card through Flutterwave. You only start cooking once the payment is confirmed.
Can it take table bookings as well as orders?
Yes. Customers choose the date, time and number of people, and you can ask for a deposit on large groups. A reminder goes out on the day.
Does it work with more than one branch?
Yes. Each branch can have its own calendar and team, and conversations are assigned to the right people in the shared inbox.
Can I send specials to my customers on WhatsApp?
Yes, to customers who opted in. Broadcasts go out on the official WhatsApp API with a report of what was delivered, opened and replied to. POPIA requires opt-in for direct marketing, and every STOP is honoured.
What does a WhatsApp message cost in South Africa?
Replies to customers who message you are free for the first 1,000 a month per number, then about R0.16 each. A marketing template costs about R0.63 per delivered message. Meta sets these rates in US dollars and DMly adds nothing.
Does it connect to my online store?
If you sell through Shopify or WooCommerce, DMly can send order updates and abandoned cart reminders on WhatsApp. Other systems can connect through the API, webhooks, Zapier or n8n.
Take orders and bookings in the chat
Seven days free, no card needed. Our team sets it up with you on a video call.