FAQ
The questions we get before the first call.
Short answers here; the long ones are on the service pages and in the guides.
Who is AI Automated Solutions?
An AI and automation implementation company founded by Evert Vorster, headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. This site is its Zimbabwe branch. The parent site is aiautomatedsolutions.com.
Are you based in Zimbabwe?
We are headquartered in Cape Town and serve clients across Zimbabwe remotely, with on-site visits arranged per project when they are worth the trip. We do not currently publish a Zimbabwe street address.
What do you actually build?
WhatsApp automation, AI agents, voice automation (starting with missed-call recovery), CRM automation, lead follow-up, appointment booking, customer support automation and back-office workflow automation. Each has its own page under Services with what it needs, how long it takes and what drives the price.
Is this a chatbot company?
A chatbot is one component. Most of the value is in what happens after the message: the record created, the quote chased, the booking confirmed, the person notified. We build the whole flow, and we hand the risky branch to a human.
What is the difference between an AI agent and an automation?
An automation follows a path you designed. An agent is given tools and a goal and decides the steps within limits. aiagent.co.zw explains the categories properly; our AI agents page covers how we implement them with approval gates.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API, or is the free app enough?
If one person replies manually to a modest volume, the app is fine. If more than one person answers, if you want automatic replies, or if you want messages to create records anywhere, you need the WhatsApp Business Platform (API). We migrate the number.
What does WhatsApp cost to run?
Meta charges per delivered template message since 1 July 2025. Replies inside the 24-hour service window are free, utility templates inside that window are free, and marketing templates are charged at the Rest of Africa rate. Our guide on WhatsApp API cost in Zimbabwe works through a month.
Do I need a POTRAZ data-controller licence?
If you process customer personal data for commercial purposes you fall under the Cyber and Data Protection Act and SI 155 of 2024, which requires a tiered licence and a data protection officer. We are not lawyers; we design consent, opt-out and retention into every flow and we ask about your licence at scoping.
Can automation issue our fiscal tax invoices?
No. ZIMRA requires fiscal tax invoices to be issued through a fiscal device integrated with FDMS, with buyer details and a verifiable QR code. We automate up to that step and after it.
Can customers pay by EcoCash inside the flow?
Two ways: a Paynow link (supports EcoCash and cards) for customers who can open web pages, and merchant-code or USSD instructions in the chat for customers on WhatsApp-only bundles. The booking or order confirms when the payment notification arrives.
Can you give us a +263 number for a voice agent?
Not through Twilio, which offers no voice-enabled Zimbabwe numbers. A local number means a licensed Zimbabwean provider that can route calls over SIP. We check what is possible at scoping and start most businesses with missed-call-to-WhatsApp recovery.
How much does a project cost?
It depends on channels, integrations, intents, approvals, volume and data state. We publish those drivers and the sourced vendor fees on the pricing page, and we give a fixed quote after a short, fixed-fee scoping. No package prices.
How long does it take?
A small first build (one channel, one integration) is typically one to two weeks of scoping and two to three weeks of build, then a two-week pilot. Meta business verification runs in parallel and can take one to three weeks.
What if it goes wrong or we want to stop?
Everything is built on accounts you own. The monthly run fee is stoppable. Approval gates and audit logs exist so that mistakes are caught before they cost money and can be explained afterwards.
Do you work with businesses outside Harare?
Yes. Delivery is remote; the constraints we design for (WhatsApp bundles, connectivity, currency) are national. Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, Masvingo, Victoria Falls: same process.
Where do I start?
The scoping worksheet. Twelve questions, five minutes, no sign-up. It names a first build and produces a summary you can paste into WhatsApp or email to us.
Next step
Scope it before you book it
Fill in the scoping worksheet (five minutes, no sign-up). It produces a summary you can paste into WhatsApp or email, so the first call starts with the actual work.