“WhatsApp is the most widely used communication platform in South Africa, yet many businesses remain reluctant to integrate it formally,” says Jonathan Elcock, co-founder and CEO at rather.chat. “This hesitation is not only misplaced but dangerous. End-to-end encryption makes WhatsApp far more secure than web forms or email. The real risk lies in how companies are not using it correctly; where staff default to their personal WhatsApp accounts to finalise client transactions unbeknown to the company, which puts sensitive customer data at risk and undermines compliance.”

Sectors such as property finance, vehicle sales, and insurance already rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer engagement, but often without the proper usage frameworks in place.

“If a salesperson’s phone is stolen, dozens of customer records can be compromised,” Elcock explains. “When companies implement verified WhatsApp Business API accounts, linked to CRM systems and brand-verified channels, the results are powerful: customer trust improves, compliance is protected, and deal closure rates increase measurably.”

There is already plenty of compelling data around this: businesses that adopt WhatsApp integration see response times double, lead drop-off rates fall, and conversion rates rise.

“WhatsApp conversations deliver a 50% uplift in lead conversion, with a 62% improvement when instant information is available,” Elcock adds. “Companies that ignore WhatsApp are not avoiding risk – they are creating it, both through shadow usage by staff and through appearing out of step with how customers want to engage.”

Looking ahead, WhatsApp’s role in enterprise operations will only expand. Global markets such as Brazil and India are already integrating payments, AI-driven chatbots, and full-service commerce channels into WhatsApp.

“South African companies that act now will be better positioned to adopt these advancements quickly,” Elcock concludes. “The future of customer engagement is conversational, and WhatsApp is at the centre of it. Secure integration is no longer optional; it’s a strategic imperative.”

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Offering services such as distribution of financial services products via its chatbot-driven marketplace, sales force management and market research, CompariSure is currently exploring growth in sectors beyond financial services and will leverage the funding to drive its expansion in the South African market.

“HAVAÍC is excited to have led the R15m pre-Series A investment round in CompariSure. Headed up by a strong team of founders, with a product that’s not only achieving significantly higher conversion rates but also more than halving the cost of acquisition, their offering is a key value add to companies selling a product,” says Kiara Suttner-Tromp, principal at HAVAÍC.

Suttner-Tromp further commended the company for its strong traction in the local insurance market and noted that the significant opportunities currently available across the globe, will enable the startup to grow both vertically and horizontally, a great advantage to CompariSure. “We are excited for what the future holds for CompariSure and to be a part of their journey.”

“CompariSure has shown excellent growth since our initial investment in 2019,” comments Anton van Vlaanderen, partner at 4Di Capital, “so making the follow-on investment decision was an easy one. Not only has CompariSure’s technology matured significantly over recent years, but the company has impressed us by continuing to attract top talent to its ranks, most crucially in senior leadership positions. At 4Di we look to back local entrepreneurs building new solutions with global relevance, and in CompariSure we see a team with a vision and technology to achieve just that.”

Matt Kloos, CompariSure co-founder and CFO adds, “This investment round is an important milestone for us and will allow us to continue reshaping the way South Africans interact online. The HAVAÍC team brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the table, and we are very excited to have them joining as a shareholder and board member. We are also incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our earliest backers 4Di Capital, whose follow-on investment signals a strong, reaffirmed belief in what we are building at CompariSure.”

Founded in November 2017 by CEO Jonathan Elcock and CFO Matt Kloos, CompariSure is a financial services provider that distributes financial services products via its chatbot-driven marketplace, using its proprietary chatbot technology that leverages platforms like Moya, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. CompariSure acts as a digital broker. Since 2017, CompariSure has processed over 120,000,000 messages and sold over 50,000 policies via chat.

The company also builds white-labelled chatbot solutions for financial service providers, enabling them sell to new customers and service their existing customers via chat.

Having chatted to over 6,000,000 South Africans to date, CompariSure aims to bridge the financial and digital exclusion divide in South Africa through chat.

Recently, CompariSure launched a job creation and skills development initiative in Strand, Khayelitsha, Hammanskraal, Daveyton and Tembisa, allowing any individual with a smartphone to drive traffic to its chatbot marketplace, and earn referral commission.

“Over 95% of our users are buying a financial product online for the first time in their lives, a true game-changer in terms of giving every South African access to quality financial services products,” comments Jonathan Elcock, CompariSure founder and CEO.

“We live in a mobile-first world, chatting is a deeply human experience. Our conversational technology allows personal, one-to-one communication with users at scale.”

“The numbers make it clear – the future of sales and customer service will be driven by conversational technologies,” adds Elcock. “Chat as a medium of engagement is the most preferred channel by the overwhelming majority of consumers, young and old. People choose chat because they want convenience, and nothing is more human and convenient than a simple conversation.”

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