On many African markets, WhatsApp is the default messaging app. Joining your customers there means talking to them where they already are — provided you respect the framework set by the platform.
Approved templates and free-form messages
WhatsApp distinguishes two types of outbound messages. Templates, pre-approved, are used to initiate contact: confirmation, reminder, code. Free-form messages are only possible within a window opened by the customer.
The 24-hour window
As soon as a customer writes to you, a 24-hour window opens: you can then exchange freely, without a template. After that, an approved template is again required to resume the conversation. This rule shapes the entire WhatsApp strategy.
Think "conversation" rather than "campaign": each customer message reopens a high-value window of dialogue.
Genuinely interactive messages
WhatsApp allows elements that SMS ignores:
- Quick-reply buttons: "Track my order", "Reschedule", "Talk to an advisor";
- Lists of choices to guide without free-text entry;
- Media: product image, invoice PDF, location.
These elements reduce the customer's effort and increase the response rate.
A concrete example
When to prefer WhatsApp over SMS
SMS keeps the edge for OTP and universal critical alerts. WhatsApp shines for engagement: order tracking, customer service, rich campaigns. The right approach combines the two, with automatic fallback from one to the other.
FasterMessage manages your templates, the 24-hour window and interactive elements from the same API as your other channels. One integration, every channel.