South Africa
For GP practices, dentists, physios and pharmacies
WhatsApp appointment booking for practices in South Africa
Patients book and reschedule in a private WhatsApp chat, get a reminder the day before, and receive a nudge when a repeat script is due. Your reception desk answers fewer calls and keeps every conversation in one place.
Appointments on WhatsApp
Day-before reminders
Repeat script nudges
Private one-to-one chats
Appointment reminders
The problem
Where a busy practice loses time every day
None of this is about care. It is about the phone, the diary and the follow up.
Phone queues
The line is busy from 08:00
Patients ring at opening time, the receptionist is checking someone in, and the call goes unanswered.
Missed appointments
An empty slot in a full diary
A forgotten appointment is a slot another patient could have had. A reminder the day before helps people remember.
Group chats
Health details in the wrong place
Staff WhatsApp groups and personal phones are not where patient conversations belong. POPIA treats health information as special personal information.
Repeat scripts
Nobody reminds them
Chronic patients run out because nobody sent a message when the repeat was due.
The same questions
Are you open on Saturday?
Hours, medical aid questions, parking and directions take up reception time all day.
Reschedules
Moving a day of patients
When a practitioner is away, phoning every patient on the list takes hours.
The conversation
A booking made in a private chat, not a phone queue
A patient booking at a fictional Umhlanga dental practice in the evening.
One to one, every time
Each patient talks to the practice in their own chat. Nothing is shared in groups.
Real free times
The agent offers only open slots from the practitioner's calendar, which can sync with Google Calendar.
People take over when needed
Anything clinical or unusual is handed to your team with the conversation attached.
How it works
What DMly handles around each appointment
The clinical work stays with your team. The admin around it runs on its own.
01
The patient messages
On WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Business Profile or your website chat, at any hour.
02
They book
They choose the practitioner and see real open times. A deposit or full payment by card or EFT is optional, for example for private consultations.
03
They are reminded
A confirmation now and a reminder the day before, with the address, parking and what to bring.
04
They are followed up
A message when a repeat script or recall visit is due, so they book again in a few taps.
05
They are asked for a review
Every patient can be sent your Google review link after a visit, and anyone with a concern can reply to reach the practice manager privately.
Who it is for
Fits the way each practice runs
GP practices
Fewer calls at opening time
Patients book, reschedule and ask about hours in the chat, so the phone is free for urgent calls.
Dentists
Recalls that actually go out
A message when the six month check-up is due, with open times attached.
Physiotherapists
A course of sessions, booked
Patients book follow up sessions with the same physio, with a reminder before each one.
Pharmacies
Repeat scripts on time
A nudge when a repeat is due for collection, and a message when the order is ready.
Privacy
Patient conversations kept where they belong
POPIA treats health information as special personal information. DMly helps you keep it out of group chats and personal phones.
One shared inbox, not personal phones
Reception, nurses and practitioners work from one team inbox, with assignment and notes, instead of their own WhatsApp.
Private one-to-one chats
Every patient conversation is between the patient and the practice. Nothing is posted in groups.
Full history in one place
When a patient calls back, whoever answers can see the earlier conversation.
Marketing only with consent
Health tips or practice news go only to patients who opted in, and opt-outs are honoured on every channel.
What you switch on
What a practice runs on DMly
24/7
Booking, hours and directions questions answered after the practice closes.
1 inbox
WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Business Profile and website chat for the whole team.
Day before
Appointment reminders sent automatically, with your address and notes.
Per practitioner
A calendar for each doctor, dentist or physio, with Google Calendar sync.
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 practice managers in South Africa ask us
Can patients book a doctor's appointment on WhatsApp?
Yes. Patients message your practice number, choose a practitioner and see real open times. The booking lands in the right calendar and a reminder goes out the day before.
Is WhatsApp suitable for patient communication under POPIA?
POPIA treats health information as special personal information, so it should stay out of group chats and personal phones. DMly gives you one-to-one chats on the official WhatsApp Business API and a shared team inbox. Your practice remains responsible for its own POPIA policies.
Can the pharmacy remind patients about repeat scripts?
Yes. You can set a reminder for when a repeat is due, and patients reply in the chat to ask for it to be prepared.
Will the AI give medical advice?
No. You train the agent on bookings, hours, fees and practical questions. Anything clinical is handed to your team with the conversation attached.
Can each practitioner have their own calendar?
Yes. Every doctor, dentist or physio has a calendar with their own hours and appointment types, and it can sync with their Google Calendar.
Can we keep using our practice WhatsApp number?
Yes. DMly connects your own number to the official API, and co-existence keeps the WhatsApp Business app working on the reception phone.
Give your reception desk a quieter morning
Seven days free, no card needed. Our team sets it up with you on a video call.