How much does a WhatsApp chatbot cost in Botswana?
“How much does a WhatsApp chatbot cost?” is the first question most business owners ask us. The honest answer: it depends on how much you want it to do. This guide breaks down the costs so you can compare quotes properly.
The four parts of the cost
- Setup. Building the assistant, training it on your information, verifying your WhatsApp Business account with Meta and testing it.
- Monthly service. Hosting, the software, updates when your prices change, reports and support.
- WhatsApp message charges. Meta charges per message on the WhatsApp Business Platform. From 1 October 2026 each number gets 1,000 free replies a month, then about 5 thebe per reply; promotions cost about 43 thebe each.
- AI usage. Each answer the AI writes has a small cost. A good provider builds this into the monthly fee.
Do-it-yourself tools vs done-for-you
Do-it-yourself tools are mostly international software billed in dollars. In South Africa, where the market is more developed, these range from roughly R270 to R4,500 a month. They’re cheaper on paper, but you build and maintain the bot yourself, and support is usually overseas.
Done-for-you services build, train and look after the assistant for you. South African agencies typically charge from about R5,000 to R50,000 for a build, depending on how many systems it connects to.
What drives the price up
- More channels — WhatsApp plus website, Facebook and Instagram.
- Integrations — connecting to your booking system, payments or CRM.
- Volume — thousands of conversations a month mean more message and AI costs.
- Languages — English plus Setswana, or more.
- How often things change — frequent price or menu updates take ongoing work.
What Bizz Assist charges
Our plans are priced in Pula. Every plan has a once-off setup fee and a monthly fee:
- WhatsApp Lite: P550/month + P1,450 setup — your own AI assistant on WhatsApp, up to 600 AI replies a month.
- Web Lite: P450/month + P950 setup — an AI chat bubble on your WordPress website, up to 500 AI replies a month.
- Starter: P750/month + P1,950 setup — WhatsApp and website chat, up to 1,000 AI replies a month.
- Business: P1,450/month + P4,950 setup — Setswana, staff hand-over, quote-ready leads, up to 2,500 AI replies a month.
- Pro: from P4,950/month + from P14,950 setup — several numbers or branches, Messenger and Instagram, integrations and broadcasts.
Pay 12 months upfront and save 10%. WhatsApp’s own message fees are billed by Meta to your Meta account. See the full pricing and FAQs.
Six questions to ask any provider
- Do you use the official WhatsApp Business Platform? Unofficial tools can get your number banned.
- Are WhatsApp’s message charges included, and up to how many?
- Who owns the number, the chats and the data if I leave?
- Can my staff take over a conversation?
- Does it answer in Setswana?
- Who do I call when something needs changing — and where are they?
Not sure which option fits your business? Ask our AI assistant — it will recommend a plan in a minute.