South Africa, Oct. 9 -- The first 1,000 service replies per business phone number each month remain free of Meta's messaging charges. After that, service replies become chargeable. At around 15c per reply, depending on your provider, exchange rates and VAT, the costs can add up quickly.

For businesses with a small number of enquiries, the increase might be manageable. For brands handling thousands of conversations, it deserves a closer look.

There is a cheaper way to keep customers chatting

Wina Wena offers a familiar mobile chat experience that can be 50% or more cheaper than an equivalent WhatsApp API solution, depending on your usage and provider charges.

It also offers three practical benefits:

For businesses running competitions...