Post a clear daylight photo, put the price and size on the post, and end with one instruction: "Reply to this status to order." Post a few times a day, not dozens, and answer every reply quickly. Only people who have your number see your status, so your contact list is your audience.
- Who sees it
- Your contacts. Status cannot be shared with people who do not have your number.
- How long it lasts
- Each status update disappears after 24 hours, so posting is a habit, not an event.
- What every post needs
- A clear photo, the price, and one simple way to order.
- What it costs
- Nothing beyond your data. There is no fee to post a status.
- Pictures to post
- Every Aloe Yami pack comes with photos for your status; Grower and Builder add videos.
Who actually sees your WhatsApp status?
Your contacts, and only them. WhatsApp's help centre states that you cannot set status privacy to Everyone, or share your status with people who do not have your number. By default, your contacts can see your statuses.
That has one practical consequence: your contact list is your shop window. A colleague who has never saved your number will not see a single post. Ask the people you would sell to whether they have you saved, and save theirs.
You can also hide your status from particular people with the "My contacts except…" setting, under Settings, then Privacy. Some sellers use it to keep sales posts away from, say, a manager or a family group.
How long does a status stay up, and why does that matter?
Twenty-four hours. Each status update disappears after a day, as VentureBeat reported when WhatsApp launched the feature. A post at 7 am on Monday is gone by Tuesday breakfast.
So selling on status is steady and repetitive, not one big announcement. The people who buy are often the ones who saw the product on the fourth or fifth day, not the first.
What should a selling post actually contain?
Three things, every time: a clear photo, the price, and how to order. Leave out any one of them and you create a question the viewer has to ask, and most viewers will not bother asking.
| Element | Do this | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Daylight, near a window, plain background, product in focus | A dark or blurry picture makes a real product look doubtful |
| Price | Written on the post, in rand | "DM for price" adds a step, and many people skip it |
| Size or quantity | One short line, e.g. "50 ml jar" | People judge value by what they get for the price |
| How to order | "Reply to this status to order" | A reply opens a chat with you in one tap |
| Delivery | Where and when you can hand it over | Answers the next question before it is asked |
What is the one thing that gets people to message you?
A single, specific instruction at the end of the post. Something like "Reply to this status to order" tells the viewer exactly what to do, and replying to a status takes one tap from the screen they are already on.
Then answer quickly. Someone who replies at lunchtime and hears back at night has often moved on. If you can, reply within the hour, even if only to say you will deliver tomorrow.
How often should you post?
There is no official rule, so treat this as a sensible starting point: a few posts spread across the day. Morning, lunchtime and early evening catch people at different moments.
Change something each time: a different photo, a short video, a note that you are delivering to the office on Thursday. Twenty near-identical posts in a row is how people end up tapping past or muting you, and a muted status sells nothing.
What does a good status update look like?
Here is an example you can adapt. It is not a script to copy word for word; write it the way you talk.
Aloe Yami Balm, 50 ml. Petroleum jelly, aloe vera and vitamin E, for face, body and scalp. R143 a jar. I deliver at work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reply to this status to order.
The R143 in that example is the Army's suggested price for a Starter-pack jar (as of October 2026): the R95 you pay, plus 50%. You set your own price. For how the sums work across the three packs, see the guide on what you can realistically make.
Describe the product the way the label does: it moisturises and comforts the skin. Do not promise it does anything medical, because it is a cosmetic, and the safety section on the product page is the standard to follow.
Should you use WhatsApp Business instead of your normal WhatsApp?
It is worth considering once you sell regularly. WhatsApp describes the Business app as letting you set up a business profile, show your products and prices, and greet people or respond when you are away.
It is not required to start. Plenty of people sell off their personal status for months first. If you switch later, the main thing to keep is the same number, because that is the number your customers have saved.
Can you message people directly to sell to them?
Carefully. Section 69 of the Protection of Personal Information Act generally prohibits direct marketing by electronic communication unless the person has given consent, or is an existing customer who is given a simple way to opt out.
A status sidesteps most of this, because people choose to look at it. Adding everyone in your phone to a sales broadcast list is a different thing. Message people who have asked, or who have bought from you before, and stop if they ask you to.
Do not post in other people's groups, such as a school or church group, unless the group allows it. It is the quickest way to be removed and remembered for the wrong reason.
Where do the photos and videos come from?
If you sell Aloe Yami, you do not have to take them yourself. Per the current price list, the Starter pack includes "Photos for your WhatsApp status", and the Grower and Builder packs include "Photos and videos for WhatsApp".
They sit in your portal, ready to save and put straight onto your status. The portal also has a counter you tap each time you sell a jar, which makes it easy to see what is moving.
Your own photos help too. A picture of the jar on your desk at work, or in your hand at the bus stop, tells your contacts it is really you selling it, which a polished photo cannot.
- Only people with your number see your status, so keep your contacts current.
- Posts vanish after 24 hours; post a few times a day, varied, not in bursts.
- Every post: photo, price, how to order. "Reply to this status" is enough.
- Reply quickly, and do not spam broadcast lists or other people's groups.
- You earn by selling jars: buy the pack at our price, sell each jar at yours, keep the difference.
Common questions
How do I sell products on my WhatsApp status?
Post a clear daylight photo of the product, write the price and size on the post, and end with one instruction such as "Reply to this status to order". Post a few times a day rather than dozens, and answer every reply quickly. Your contacts are your audience, so keep your contact list up to date.
Who can see my WhatsApp status?
By default, your contacts. WhatsApp's help centre says status privacy cannot be set to Everyone, and your status cannot be shared with people who do not have your number. You can exclude specific contacts with the "My contacts except" setting.
How long does a WhatsApp status stay up?
Status updates disappear after 24 hours. That is why selling on status is about steady, regular posting rather than one big announcement.
How often should I post my products on WhatsApp status?
There is no official rule. A few posts spread across the day, with something different in each, is a sensible starting point. Too many in a row makes people tap past or mute you, and a muted status sells nothing.
Can I add people to a broadcast list to sell to them?
Be careful. Under section 69 of the Protection of Personal Information Act, direct marketing by electronic communication is generally prohibited unless the person has consented or is an existing customer, with a way to opt out. A status is different: people choose to look at it.
Does Aloe Yami give me pictures to post?
Yes. The Starter pack includes photos for your WhatsApp status, and the Grower and Builder packs include photos and videos for WhatsApp. They are in your portal, ready to save and post.
Sources checked for this guide (October 2026): WhatsApp's help centre on privacy settings and status; VentureBeat on status updates disappearing after 24 hours; WhatsApp's Business app page; and POPIA section 69. App features change, so check the current version of WhatsApp for exact menus.
Still weighing it up? The help page covers the money, the stock and the arrangement, or send us a WhatsApp.
See what comes in each pack
Three packs, one price for everyone, and the photos for your status included in every one.