How Grapevine created a secure, 24/7 self-service channel for 16,000 beneficiaries & guardians.

The Opportunity

A Beneficiary Fund supporting approximately 16,000 beneficiaries & guardians across South Africa needed a simpler, more accessible way to manage sensitive requests, identity verification, document submissions & beneficiary support.

Grapevine introduced an automated WhatsApp service channel integrated directly with the enterprise’s core fund management systems.

The result is a secure, guided self-service experience that allows beneficiaries to complete requests, submit documents, access important forms & connect with live agents - all within a familiar WhatsApp conversation.

‍Challenge

The Fund needed a modern engagement channel that could:

• Securely verify beneficiaries & guardians without complex, multi-step OTP processes.
• Enable guided self-service for capital requests, document submissions, Certificate of Existence access & document downloads.
• Automate document processing & routing to the relevant back-office teams.
• Provide seamless access to live support when self-service isn’t enough.

Grapevine’s Solution

Grapevine built a dedicated WhatsApp Business solution on the Bird platform, integrated with the Meta WhatsApp API & the enterprise’s internal administration systems.

Secure API connections link WhatsApp conversations to back-office processes, allowing beneficiaries to complete structured requests directly within WhatsApp.

From authenticating their identity & submitting an ad hoc capital request to uploading documents & accessing their Certificate of Existence form, beneficiaries can navigate a guided journey without leaving the conversation.

When human assistance is needed, conversations can be seamlessly h&ed over to live agents with the relevant context available through a dedicated support Inbox.

‍What Grapevine Enabled

1. ‍Secure Authentication
   ‍WhatsApp number & South African ID matching against the enterprise database removes the need for a separate OTP step.
2. ‍Interactive WhatsApp Flows
   ‍Structured in-chat forms capture fund profiles, request types, amounts & m&atory supporting documents.
3. ‍Automated Document Routing
   ‍Documents & metadata are automatically normalised & routed to six dedicated Beneficiary Fund mailboxes for back-office processing.
4. ‍Live Agent Escalation
   ‍A dedicated support Inbox enables seamless h&over to live agents with conversation context & queue management.
5. ‍Certificate of Existence Access
   ‍Beneficiaries can access the externally hosted Certificate of Existence webform directly from their WhatsApp journey.
6. ‍Document Downloads
   ‍Required templates can be downloaded & completed documents submitted through the same WhatsApp conversation.

The Results

‍Business Impact

By combining secure authentication, WhatsApp Flows, automated document processing & live-agent support, Grapevine created a more accessible beneficiary experience while reducing manual intervention & keeping sensitive requests structured from conversation through to back-office processing.

24/7 Service. Securely Delivered Through WhatsApp.

Grapevine builds secure, scalable WhatsApp Workflow solutions tailored to your business - connecting people to the services they need simply, securely & efficiently.