Keyloop expands partnership with AI Assistant to transform customer experience in South African dealerships

The platform interprets customer replies and responds conversationally, handling lead routing, appointment scheduling, and CRM updates without human intervention.

Keyloop, a global leader in automotive retail technology, has expanded its collaboration with AI Assistant to bring its conversational AI platform to South African dealerships, strengthening its presence in one of the most promising automotive markets in the region. The initiative follows successful rollouts of AI Assistant’s solution in the UK, the Middle East, the Netherlands and Germany, and represents a strategic step toward reshaping how dealerships engage customers and manage daily operations.

The new platform allows retailers to automate and personalise interactions across multiple channels, including email and WhatsApp. Using generative AI, it interprets customer messages and responds in a natural, conversational tone, handling tasks such as lead forwarding, appointment scheduling and CRM updates without human intervention. By combining automation and contextual intelligence, the system enhances responsiveness, streamlines operations and boosts conversion rates, freeing up sales teams to focus on higher-value customer interactions.

For Keyloop, this expansion highlights the growing digital maturity of the South African automotive industry. “South Africa’s automotive market is dynamic and digitally ambitious,” said Graham Stokes, Vice President of Sales for Europe and Africa at Keyloop. “Dealerships here are eager to adopt technologies that simplify operations and elevate the customer experience. With AI Assistant’s messaging platform, we’re helping retailers engage more effectively, reduce manual workloads and unlock new levels of efficiency.”

The momentum reflects a broader regional appetite for innovation and automation. According to Phil Stubbs, Chief Revenue Officer at AI Assistant, the partnership responds to a clear demand for scalable and measurable solutions. “The appetite for innovation in South Africa is strong,” he noted. “This expansion is about more than technology, it’s about empowering dealerships to build lasting customer relationships in a fast-evolving digital landscape.”

That transformation is already visible on the ground. Tantia Kruger, Regional Sales Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at Keyloop, explained that the platform is helping dealerships overcome one of their most persistent challenges: time. “We’ve seen how this technology transforms dealership operations. In South Africa, where teams are often stretched thin, AI Assistant is helping retailers respond faster, follow up more consistently and ultimately convert more leads. It’s not just about automation — it’s about giving dealers the tools to deliver a premium experience at scale.”

The adoption of conversational AI represents more than a technological shift; it signals a new way of thinking about customer engagement in the automotive sector. By automating routine communication while preserving human tone and intent, dealerships can focus on building stronger relationships and delivering better service. The result is not only improved efficiency and responsiveness but also higher customer satisfaction and loyalty over time.

With the expansion into South Africa, Keyloop continues to advance its broader mission of connecting every part of the automotive retail ecosystem through intelligent, experience-driven solutions. The partnership with AI Assistant underscores a growing belief within the industry: that meaningful digital transformation doesn’t replace the human element, it enhances it.